[SciPy-dev] a modest proposal for technology previews

[Travis E. Oliphant]

Jarrod Millman wrote:
> Hey,
>
> I have been thinking about how to best get useful, widely-needed,
> high-quality code with a good, stable API into scipy without creating
> an unnecessary burden on developers or early adopters.  Unfortunately,
> I don't have time to fully flesh out what I have been thinking; but I
> went ahead and started writing a SEP:
>   http://projects.scipy.org/scipy/scipy/browser/trunk/doc/seps/technology-preview.rst
>
> Please note that I don't intend this to replace scikits or other
> staging grounds.  I imagine that a project could easily start as a
> scikit and mature there.  Then a number of developer decide that it
> belongs in scipy proper.  Rather than just working in a branch until
> the code is ready for release to the world.  This mechanism would
> allow any additional incubator for code maturation and development.
>
>   
> I would love to hear everyone's initial thoughts, suggestions, and
> ideas.  I will try and incorporate these comments into the SEP and
> then we can discuss whether we should accept, reject, or defer the
> SEP.  I have been kicking the idea around a bit with Fernando, Chris,
> Stefan, and others; so I can't claim the idea is mine.  I am just
> trying to write it up.  If anyone once to help out, the SEP is checked
> into the scipy trunk.
>
>   
Hi Jarrod,

I think it is useful to have a pattern people can follow for getting new 
code into SciPy in a way that produces stable  APIs.  

Right now, though,  I don't see how scipy.preview is preferrable to 
another staging ground like, say, scikits.forscipy.  In fact, I see how 
it might be a bad thing as it basically brings back the sandbox under a 
different name (although one could argue it's a sandbox that actually 
gets distributed).


-Travis