[Python-Dev] Unclear on the way forward with unsigned integers (original) (raw)

Tim Peters tim.one@comcast.net
Mon, 07 Oct 2002 15:42:14 -0400

[Thomas Wouters]

Well, I can tell you that future has definately worked. Without it, I would not have been able to upgrade Python on many of our servers -- and because we don't need newer versions ourselves, they would not likely be installed at all. As it is, I can safely upgrade to the next major version when they come out, instead of having to start a lengthy and very energy-consuming customer-acceptance process. And this anal attitude towards compatibility isn't just me, it's company policy ;)

I suspect all companies that maintain python on behalf of third parties are grateful of future. Or at least, the good ones, the others merely should be grateful :)

I'm not sure this counts as a success: it doesn't sound like future is helping you migrate, it sounds like future is helping you not migrate so far. What are you going to do when 2.3 comes out, and the things that were future in 2.2 are no longer choices? Some code will break if you move to 2.3. Will you be able to get away with saying "but Python 2.2 warned you about this all along, so we're moving to 2.3 regardless"? If so, then I'd count it a success.