[Python-Dev] PEP 408 -- Standard library __preview__ package

[Michael Foord]

On 27/01/2012 20:48, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> Eli Bendersky wrote:
>
>>> try:
>>>    from __preview__ import thing
>>> except ImportError:
>>>    import thing
>>>
>>> So no need to target a very specific version of Python.
>>>
>>
>> Yep, this is what I had in mind. And it appeared too trivial to place
>> it in the PEP.
>
> Trivial and wrong.
>
> Since thing and __preview__.thing may have subtle, or major, API 
> differences, how do you use it?
>
No, potentially wrong in cases where the APIs are different. Even with 
the try...except ImportError dance around StringIO / cStringIO there are 
some API differences. But for a lot of use cases it works fine 
(simplejson and json aren't *identical*, but it works for most people).

Michael

> try:
>     result = thing.foo(a, b, c) + thing.bar(x)
> except AttributeError:
>     # Must be the preview version
>     result = thing.foobar(a, c, b, x)
>
>


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