[Python-3000] [Python-ideas] Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those!

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Greg Ewing writes:
 > Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
 > 
 > > I don't see any need to shorten "python3.0" to "python3".
 > 
 > I was thinking that "python3" would be the 3.x series
 > equivalent of what "python" is now, i.e. installation
 > of 3.0 would create links called "python3.0" and (unless
 > you're doing altinstall) also "python3".

Well, yes, I understood that.  I just don't see a need for it.  At any
given time I have a preferred Python, and I alias python to that.
When I need one of the others, I invoke them as "pythonX.Y".  Even on
a shared system, most people will be allowed to have a private ~/bin
directory or shell aliases.

 > > Also, another exception should be if there is no other Python
 > > installed.  Then installing a link at "python" should be OK.
 > 
 > Until you subsequently go to install one of the 2.x
 > versions.

If somebody's introduction to Python is Python 3, I don't see why
they'd want to go back except for a specific app.  It *is* a better
language than Python 2 or Python 1.  Such an app will have an
appropriate shebang or wrapper script.

That doesn't mean that it would be *bad* if they want to go back,
that's entirely up to them.  I just think it will be rare enough that
they can ask somebody how to create a symlink if they need to.