[Python-Dev] unicode Exception messages in py2.7

[Terry Reedy]

On 11/14/2013 6:57 PM, Chris Barker wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:20 PM, Victor Stinner

>> Seriously, *all* these tricky bugs are fixed in Python 3. So don't
>> loose time on trying to workaround them, but invest in the future:
>> upgrade to Python 3!
>
> Maybe so -- but we are either maintaining 2.7 or not

That statement is too 'binary'. We normally fix general bugs* for two 
years and security bugs for 3 more years. That is already 'trinary'. For 
2.7, we have already done 3 1/2 years of general bug fixing. I expect 
that that will taper off for the next 1 1/2 years.

* We sometimes do not back port a bug fix that theorectically could be 
backported because we think it would be too disruptive (because people 
depend on the bug). When we fix a bug with a feature change that cannot 
be backported, we do not usually create a separate backport patch unless 
the bug is severe. In either case, people who want the fix must upgrade.

Many unicode bugs in 2.x were fixed in 3.0 by making unicode the text 
type. For some but not all unicode issues, separate patches have been 
made for 2.7. People who want the general fix must upgrade. (The unicode 
future import gives some of the benefits, but maybe not all.)  A few 
more unicode bugs were fixed in 3.3 with the flexible string 
representation. People who want the 3.3 fix must upgrade, even from 3.2.

> -- it WIL be around for along time yet...

1.5 was around for a long time; not sure if it is completely gone yet.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy