[Python-ideas] Add from __experimental__ import bla [was: Should we move to replace re with regex?]

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

alex23 writes:
 > On Aug 30, 2:20 pm, Matt Joiner <anacro... at gmail.com> wrote:
 > > Why can't a special tag/section be added in PyPi to indicate that a
 > > module is being considered for inclusion in future versions of Python,
 > > after all, we're all friends here.
 > 
 > +1
 > 
 > There was talk of making the standard library standalone. I think
 > having a similar metapackage for experimental modules would be a more
 > elegant way of achieving this.

"Although practicality beats purity."

As already mentioned several times in this thread, PyPI, Bitbucket,
and hg.python.org sandboxes as-is provide a plenty good technical
solution for distribution of experimental code which is almost certain
to be included in the core distribution at some point, but currently
the API bikeshed is being painted (well, it will be if we can only
come to consensus on color!)

The problem to be solved is on the other side of the network
connection, internal to the *using organizations*.  Some of them have
much stricter rules for adding new "approved" packages than for
upgrading existing ones.  In that case, developers "inside" get much
freer access to "official experimental" modules, and can participate
in development (including objecting to API changes they consider
gratuitous :-) in a way that is hard for them to justify if *before*
dealing with any API changes they have to run an internal obstacle
course just to be allowed to use the code.

As I understand Guido's position, "experimental" is a non-starter
unless it can be expected to significantly increase beta tests of such
modules by developers inside organizations that strictly control their
internal code libraries.  This requires that the "experimental"
modules be distributed with the interpreter.  Of course, if the stdlib
was separated out, and the current stdlib simply bundled with the
interpreter at distribution time, the experimental package could be
given the same treatment.  But the stdlib hasn't been done yet, and I
don't think something labelled "experimental" would have the same
credibility with IT Security/QA as the rest of core Python.

This last might kill the whole idea, as QA might take the position
that "yes, you're just upgrading Python 2.7 from 2.7.4 to 2.7.5, but
we have no idea what might be in experimental, so you're going to have
to make a separate request for that."  (I have never worked in such an
organization so I don't know if that's a realistic worry or not.)