On Mar 5, 2006, at 22:10, Barry Warsaw wrote:
I'm happy to announce the release of the email 4.0a2 standalone
package.
This is the latest version of the email package and will be released
with Python 2.5. The major changes between this version and email 3.0
(released with Python 2.4) is:
...
Note that the old, email version 3 package names are still
supported for
backward compatibility, so you won't have to change existing code.
New
code should use the new names as the old names will go away in Python
2.6. Also note that email.mime.application is /not/ provided as
email.MIMEApplication.
I am a bit worried by annoucements such as this one, so I would like
to profit from this opportunity to plead for more stability in Python
development, even though the concrete case (the email module) is not
a problem for me.
My interpretation of the above paragraph is that it will be
impossible to write Python code using the email module (and possibly
other evolving modules) that works with both Python 2.4 and Python
2.6. As an author of Python code, I therefore have to choose if I
want to force my users to update their Python installation (knowing
that this is impossible or at least a major effort for some of them)
or if I want to prevent early adopters of new versions from using my
code. I don't like either option.
From exchanges with users of my code, I conclude that there are
significant numbers of users of Python 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 at the
moment, plus a small number of users of 2.0 and 2.1. From a few cases
of Python 2.2 users whose situations I know well, I understand that
updating is not always an option. For example, there is someone whose
10 PCs are still running SuSE Linux 8.1 (which includes Python 2.2).
The PhD student who handles system administration (with minimal
expertise) adopts the wise approach of never breaking a running
system. In other words, those machines will remain at SuSE 8.1 and
Python 2.2 until they will be replaced. This leaves users with the
only option of installing a newer Python in their home directories -
not exactly a straightforward task for someone who knows little about
Python and nothing about system administration.
Given the current situation, I expect that when Python 2.6 is
released, Python 2.4 will still be in common use.
Personally, I would prefer that all compatibility-breaking changes be
postponed until Python 3K. I'd rather have worry about compatibility
once than continously.
Konrad.
--
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Konrad Hinsen
Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA Saclay,
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
Tel.: +33-1 69 08 79 25
Fax: +33-1 69 08 82 61
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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