Stable Python releases (was Re: memory leaks in 1.5.2 Python interpreter)

[Aahz Maruch]

In article <ZGuH2LAeLSU8Ewqy at jessikat.fsnet.co.uk>,
Robin Becker  <robin at jessikat.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>In article <a2qioj$fm$1 at panix2.panix.com>, Aahz Maruch <aahz at panix.com>
>writes
>>
>>Some problems have been addressed.  The current most stable release is
>>Python 2.1.2; you might try that.
>
>Isn't 2.2 stable? I have just downloaded the installer/source

To expand on Michael Hudson's response, there's an important distinction
between a "feature release" (which for Python has now been formally
defined as an X.Y release -- 1.5.2 was the last feature release that was
named X.Y.Z) and a "bugfix release" (which for Python will now always be
X.Y.Z).

In a feature release, it is more likely that the new features will
themselves be broken in some way or that adding the new features will
have disturbed the codebase to break some old functionality.  Because
bugfix releases don't add new features (with *very* occasional
exceptions that must be approved explicitly by BDFL, such as the
largefile support in 2.1.2 -- and such exceptions will almost always be
interpretable as "bugfixes"), they are generally going to be more stable
than feature releases.

That said, Python's feature releases are generally *very* stable
(particularly in comparison to certain commercial products), because
Python's development process contains a robust regression and testing
suite.  So if you need a new feature, go ahead and feel fairly
comfortable with a feature release.

In the case of 2.2, though, the new type/class system may not be as
static as Python features usually are, so if you're concerned about the
possibility of needing to change your code, you may want to stay away
from that.

If you need the utmost in stability, the most current bugfix release is
likely to be your best bet.

You may also want to read PEP 6, which describes the bugfix release
process in more detail.
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