Python 1.6 alpha 1 released

[David Arnold]

-->"Terry" == Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> writes:

  Terry> Without countervailing philosophical justification, this
  Terry> code-breaking change strikes me as contrary to both the
  Terry> spirit and practice of python.

the justification is (and always was) that connect() does not always
take a host and port.  it *does* always take a single address
parameter.  the format of that address parameter depends on the
address/protocol family with which the socket was created.

  Terry> If the connect() code currently also accepts the new form,
  Terry> then the API could be tightened just as well by eliminating
  Terry> the one-tuple variant.  How much code would that break?

(just to be pedantic, it's not the new form. it's the form from as
long as i can remember -- 1.1? 1.3 at least)

maintaining the current hack to support two arguments is probably the
best solution, given the storm of protest this has caused.  i don't
know why Guido proposed its removal, but perhaps it's not worth it?


d