number of python users

[Magnus Lycka]

Robert Kern wrote:
> So he can make an informed decision about how far back he should
> maintain compatibility?

I wasn't asking you! ;)

Depending on what kind of software this is, who the potential
users are, how the software will be distributed etc, the
importance of being backward compatible varies from essential
to completely irrelevant.

As usual, knowing more background makes it easier to help.
It would be a pity to miss out on really useful new features
in Python 2.4 while coding, and then end up bundling a Python
interpreter in the software installations anyway.

It's obviously more relevant to maintain compatibility with
older Python versions if we're talking about an open source
Python package that might be of use to the typical Python
programmer who uses Linux.

To name a few concrete examples, Zope typically bundles its
own python in the installation, and can work with just one
version and let other software on the same machine use another
python of a different version.

Twisted supports 2.2 - 2.4, but will probably skip 2.2 support
fairly soon, and since it uses some new Python features, some
backported Python libraries are included in Twisted, and that
creates a maintenance cost.