Python language moratorium is accepted

[cool-RR]

I hope very much that the freed up cycles will be used to improve Python's packaging/distribution mechanism, which I think is the weakest link in the chain of using Python.

[jacquesm]

Yes, it is a big problem.

Try installing any major piece of python software (and no, easy_install does not always work, or work properly) and you're in for a world of grief.

[sandGorgon]

seconded. Ruby's gem might not be perfect, but it is much more intuitive than anything python has (no idea about "pip" though)

[jparise]

It's important to note that improvements to the standard library and C API are still permitted while the language (grammar) moratorium is in effect.

[unohoo]

great move. Most of hosts I use still are at 2.5 / 2.6 levels. This moratorium will indeed give time to catch up. Probably I missed it - but does the moratorium apply to bugs/security patches as well ?

[dschobel]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a bug or security flaw in the language syntax or semantics.

Remember, this doesn't mean that the implementations won't be improved underneath the covers, just the high-level language spec.

[jnoller]

No - it does not apply to bugs or security issues

[wtallis]

Fundamental language bugs (ambiguity, etc.) can be fixed. Security bugs will almost certainly be the result of something in the standard library, which has not been frozen.

[andreyf]

The releases will go on (probably faster), it's just the syntax that's frozen. This helps Python implementations like IronPython or jPython catch up, but it certainly won't help hosts.

[dschobel]

Any word whether PEP 380 ("yield from") made it in before the cut-off?

[jnoller]

It did not. PEP 380 will not see the light of day until the moratorium is lifted. This made me sad while I was writing it, but it is what it is.

[jacquesm]

I wonder how much it was ever in doubt that this would happen, when a 'benevolent dictator for life' wants something it happens.

From the introduction of the subject on the mailing list it seemed as though the moratorium was already in place at the time of the announcement.

[viraptor]

After reading the PEP I'm still not sure: does it mean that no changes will be made at all, or are "from __future__ import ..." additions allowed (but won't be integrated until 3.3)? [Not allowed - now I see it, my bad]

[jnoller]

__future__ additions are banned under this. See "cannot change" point 4

[Shana]

Smart move...Also allows people time to learn the language, and then move into 3 gradually... Go Python People...

[tptacek]

I wish Ruby would make the same promise. I'm kind of bitter about 1.9.

[telemachos]

That surprises me. I've been learning Ruby recently (only really working with 1.9), but every time I learn about something that's new or different in 1.9 compared with earlier versions, the new version seems better, cleaner to me (e.g. 'hello'[1] # => 'h' not 101, Enumerators and MiniTest::Unit, off the top of my head).

Also, it's significantly faster, no?

[carbon8]

Why's that?

[cookiecaper]

I actually really think the Linux kernel would benefit from something like this too; it doesn't have to be a freeze for two years, but dedicating maybe every third release to strictly bugfixes and performance and stability improvements and no new features, or something like that, would do a lot of good, imo. Tightening sessions like that where Linux devs ask everyone to pitch in to tightening and accept no major feature additions or alterations would go a long to making things cleaner and faster, and maturing patches before they are merged (because the skipped cycle would allow extra improvement on features before the next merge window).

[TwoBit]

Just two years? I suggest six years.

[jrockway]

This will give Perl and Ruby a good chance to pull even farther ahead of Python. It would be nice if "we" didn't learn anything about programming that needs new language features, but we do, and it's silly to omit features that make programming easier.

Oh yeah, it's Python.

[axod]

Language wars are so pointless. Spend your energy on something else.

Guess what. The programming language you use is pretty irrelevant to success. It's a matter of taste, what other people are using (If you care), what has convenient libraries for what you're doing.

edit: OK I'll bite:

>> "It would be nice if "we" didn't learn anything about programming that needs new language features, but we do, and it's silly to omit features that make programming easier."

Examples? What have we really learnt about programming say in the last 5 years that requires new language features? Maybe it's just individuals that learn things about programming, and change their tastes.

[dschobel]

Can you name one language feature any of the three have which hasn't been around for decades?

[tsally]

I'm not a zealot for either of the 3 languages, but I wasn't aware that Perl could be considered "ahead" of Python by any measure except libraries.