[Python-Dev] Unittests (original) (raw)

Aahz aahz@pythoncraft.com
Wed, 10 Apr 2002 15:49:20 -0400

On Wed, Apr 10, 2002, M.-A. Lemburg wrote:

You won't have much luck in doing s/whrandom/random/g on a hard-copy Python text book and this is what Python newbies read. I'm not even talking about potential Python users who haven't gotten the slightest idea what sed is... :-)

What Python textbooks use whrandom?

Note that the key point is a different one: every single deprecation causes work (convincing management, code changes, tests, deployment of the new code, training application developers, writing/buying new books). Work costs money. Money causes all sorts of problems.

Would it be okay with you for whrandom to emit a deprecation warning, but not get deleted until Python 3.0?

From my POV, what you're missing in this debate is the cost of keeping the code. If code exists, people ask questions about it. Random issues keep popping up on c.l.py and the simpler the situation, the easier to explain it.

Aahz (aahz@pythoncraft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"There are times when effort is important and necessary, but this should not be taken as any kind of moral imperative." --jdecker