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

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:14:36 -0500
Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> wrote:
> On Jan 28, 2012, at 09:15 AM, Guido van Rossum wrote:
> 
> >So I do not support the __preview__ package. I think we're better off
> >flagging experimental modules in the docs than in their name. For the
> >specific case of the regex module, the best way to adoption may just
> >be to include it in the stdlib as regex and keep it there. Any other
> >solution will just cause too much anxiety.
> 
> +1
> 
> What does the PEP give you above this "simple as possible" solution?

"I think we'll just see folks using the unstable APIs and then
complaining when we remove them, even though they *know* *upfront* that
these APIs will go away."

That problem would be much worse if some modules were simply marked
"experimental" in the doc, rather than put in a separate namespace.
You will see people copying recipes found on the internet without
knowing that they rely on unstable APIs.

Regards

Antoine.