Doe the language have an standard?

[Stephen Horne]

On 3 Mar 2003 00:19:50 -0800, nishant_dh at yahoo.com (Nishant) wrote:

>I have a query!!
>Doe the Python have an standard? if so, state release date, and state
>whether the translators Python 2.3a2 Python 2.2 and Python 2.3
>implements the standard.
>
>Thanks
>Nishant

Not in the IEEE or whatever sense - the standard is what it says in
the manual ;-)

We have a Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL) - the original creator
of the language (Guido Van Rossum) - who is capable of much faster and
more effective decision-making than any committee. We also have a
community which has many good ideas and a (usually) healthy approach
to debating them.

It's a system which can be open to abuse due to strong feelings - it's
far too easy to bite the hand that feeds us (I've done it so I know) -
but it is a very good system in general.

Also, having one definitive implementation usually removes the need to
worry about source-level portability (though people who need to use
multiple Python versions are probably giving me funny looks).

-- 
steve at ninereeds dot fsnet dot co dot uk