[Python-Dev] Continuing 2.x

[Barry Warsaw]

Who is the target audience for a Python 2.8?  What exactly would a Python 2.8
accomplish?

If Python 2.8 doesn't include new features, well, then what's the point?
Python 2.7 will be bug fix maintained for a long time, longer in fact than
previous Python 2 versions.  So a no-feature Python 2.8 can't be about
improving Python 2 stability over time (i.e. just fix the bug in Python 2.7).

If Python 2.8 is about adding new features, then it has to be about
backporting those features from Python 3.  Adding new feature only to a Python
2.8 *isn't* Python, it's a fork of Python.  Of course, it's open source and
you're always allowed to do that, but you would need to be clear that this
isn't "Python".  IOW, a distro like Ubuntu would likely never package such a
thing as "/usr/bin/python".

What specific features that are showing up in say Python 3.2 are so compelling
that they need to show up in Python 2.8, *and* would compel folks who are
pinned to Python 2 to spend the resources to support it?  Porting and
certifying a code base against a new Python version is always work, sometimes
a significant amount of work.  What would be so compelling about a Python 2.8
that users, package authors, and distros would be willing to undertake this
work?

I'd *much* rather this enthusiasm be spent on making Python 3 rock, and in
porting third party code to Python 3.

-Barry
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 836 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/attachments/20101028/5ae2cd9a/attachment-0001.pgp>