why python annoys me

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "JL" == James Logajan <JamesL at Lugoj.Com> writes:

  JL> Luke wrote:
  >> Furthermore, the syntax and features of the language keep
  >> changing with every release.

  JL> That is almost tautological; a new release of a language doesn't
  JL> normally add libraries or modules, it normally means the syntax
  JL> or semantics have changed somewhere (excepting minor releases
  JL> intended to fix bugs).

A new release could just add libraries or modules.  The language and
the standard library are not packaged separately.  There are lots of
modules distributed separately, of course.  But if you want to fix the
cgi module, you need to get a new Python release out.

  JL> If your objection is that there are too many releases of the
  JL> language, then I would agree completely. Guido and the entire
  JL> Python development team need to take a five year
  JL> vacation. Releasing new versions more often than about every two
  JL> years, except for bug fixes, is probably self destructive.

You should talk to my employer.  I'd love it if they'd give me five
years of vacation <wink>.  As it is, it's only a few weeks -- not
enough to really delay Python releases.

I'd agree that releasing new major versions more then every two years
would be crazy -- hard on both language developers and language
users.  I don't think that the changes in the recently released Python
2.1 are all that major.  The biggest change, nested scopes, is only
available to programmers who specifically opt-in; we decided to delay
the mandatory introduction of the feature until the next release
(2.2).

Otherwise, the new features are mostly small and useful only to people
who were looking for them -- weak references, warnings, rich
comparisons.  People have wanted these features for a while, but they
aren't of major significance.  If you were trying to do sensible
comparisons with your own instances, rich comparisons will make things
a lot easier.  Most people, though, will never see them.

Most of the interesting bug fixes involve introducing new features or
removing broken ones, anyway.  The cgi module used to keep a copy of
all lines read via file uploads.  That was a real problem for people
using cgi to upload large files.  But to fix it required that we
remove a feature that other users might have depended on.  So a strict
bug fix policy for two years would basically prevent any improvements
to the language or library.  Users probably suffer more because they
spend years working around bugs and then have more difficulty porting
when the language is finally changed.

Jeremy