Timeline for Python?

[Aahz]

In article <1157097423.946429.261370 at p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>,
crystalattice <crystalattice at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>I'd write for 2.4, even though 2.5 should be coming out "shortly".
>There aren't many significant changes to the whole language between 2.4
>and 2.5.  Probably the best thing is write for 2.4 and have a sidenote
>stating where 2.5 operates differently.

Speaking as the co-author of _Python for Dummies_:

That's bad advice -- there are three Python books already out (or out
within the next couple of weeks) that target 2.5: _Python in a Nutshell_,
_Core Python_, and _Python for Dummies_.  _Python for Dummies_ had an
edit cycle after 2.5b1, so there should be little difference between that
and the released version.  A book scheduled for publication a year from
now should absolutely target 2.5 or risk looking dated.

There are in fact a lot of new features in 2.5: conditional expressions;
relative imports; unified try/except/finally; generators getting send(),
throw(), and close(); the with statement.  That doesn't even include
critical library features such as sqlite and ElementTree.

OTOH, I do agree that any book written should include diferences between
2.5 and earlier versions for the benefit of people needing to target
earlier or multiple versions.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

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