[python-win32] Next question relating to 'better' versions

[Tim Golden]

On 19/05/2011 10:22, Jacob Kruger wrote:
> Ok, firstly, I have moved over to an email address I do actually have
> some control over the format of, but anyway.

Thanks for doing that -- it does make a difference to those
of us reading the result :)

[... Which version of Python? ...]

It's a tricky one (sometimes) and an amount is determined by what
libraries or tools you want / need to use. You've mentioned py2exe
and Eclipse, and if the lack of those, for example, is a showstopper
then your decision is made. That said, PyDev (the Python "mode" for
Eclipse) does appear to support Python 3 (I can't find an outright
statement to that effect, but there are several mentions of Python3
in their docs). Also, I don't about py2exe, but cx_freeze seems to
have versions for Python 3.

But regardless of tools, there's the wider issue: which is better
to start off with? I think it's worth pointing out that, especially
if you're looking at 2.7 -- but even with earlier 2.x versions --
there isn't *that* much difference. My wmi library runs
unaltered on versions from 2.4 to 3.3. I did have to make some
tiny compromises, but the point I'm making is that Python 3 is
*not* worlds away from Python 2. Whichever version you plump for
now, you'll be well-placed to use the other one if you ever need
to.

General guidance would be: go with Python 3 if you're starting
afresh, unless you have some overriding need for a library or
tool which hasn't been ported (and which you can't easily port
yourself... it might be easier than you think). Another of my
libraries runs on both versions by virtue of running the 2to3.py
library across it on install. (The pywin32 extensions use the
same approach).

TJG