py3k s***s

[Michael Torrie]

Chris McAloney wrote:
> *Have* you tried the 2to3 tool?  It might help to lessen your  
> concerns a bit.  Yes, Python 3 is different from 2.x, but we've known  
> that it was going to be for years and, as has already been pointed  
> out, the devs are being very careful to minimize the pain that the  
> changes will inflict on Python programmers, with tools such as 2to3.

After parsing this thread through a noise filter, it appears the main
concern is not the converting of _python code_ from 2 to 3, but rather
converting extensions written in C, or when python is embedded in a C
program.  The APIs have necessarily changed, and this *will* inflict a
certain amount of pain and suffering on the developer, especially if he
needs to maintain code for both python 2 and python 3.  However this is
just the way it is.  It's a bit like complaining that I have to rewrite
my app with win32 calls and paradigms when I was used to win16.  No
conversion will be completely pain free, but this jump is pretty
insignificant compared to others in the industry.

I think the original poster is being somewhat unreasonable, though.  No
one is going to force him to 3.  If his end users demand it, and he's
selling them software, then he'll do it or else go out of business.  If
it's OSS, he'll either do it, or someone else will fork it and take it
forward.