making python scripts backwards compatible

[J.Jacob]

[Martin v. Löwis]
> From whom are you requesting this?

It is only a request to mention the python version you used to develop
a module.  If it is backwards compatible to python 1.5.2, and uses the
new features if run on later version, that is great.  But i am not
saying everything should be backwards compatible, that is just too
much work for some and i understand that.

[Martin v. Löwis]
> The code in question (SimpleXMLRPCServer) could *not* be used by
> people or systems based on Python 1.5.2, since you took it from the
> standard libary of a later Python version. Such code can only work
> with the Python executable that it came with.

I managed to use it with python 1.5.2 after a little refactoring, it
was not that much work for SimpleXMLRPCServer, it is well designed. 
Just had to refactor xmlrpclib too and some others, they are now on my
system as bcxmlrpclib etc.

[Martin v. Löwis]
> Even for code that *is* designed and maintained to work across
> different Python versions, this request is unreasonable.

As i wrote earlier i would just like to be able to find the python
version that was used to make it.  Then you know what to look for when
scanning the code for compatibility problems.

[Martin v. Löwis]
> I dropped support for Python 1.5.2 from PyXML a few days ago, after
> asking users whether they would care. Redhat responded that they still
> ship Python 1.5.2, and will continue to do so throughout Redhat 7.x.
> However, they also pointed out that there *is* a Python 2.x
> distribution in recent Redhat releases, so users can install it if
> they want to.

Yes i found a python20 command on our system too.

[Martin v. Löwis]
> The net result is that PyXML 0.8 will not support Python 1.5.2
> anymore, and that Redhat therefore won't incorporate PyXML 0.8 in any
> of the Redhat 7.x releases.

Those damn companies :)  Wish there was a petition list or something
so we can do something about the Red Hat policy.
PyXML is great, keep up the good work !

greetings, Joost