[Python-Dev] Python 3.0.1 (original) (raw)

Raymond Hettinger python at rcn.com
Fri Jan 30 00:27:03 CET 2009

[Aahz]

At the same time, I think each individual change that doesn't clearly fall into the PEP6 process of being a bugfix needs to be vetted beyond what's permitted for not-yet-released versions.

To get the ball rolling, I have a candidate for discussion.

Very late in the 3.0 process (after feature freeze), the bsddb code was ripped out (good riddance). This had the unfortunate side-effect of crippling shelves which now fall back to using dumbdbm.

I'm somewhat working on an alternate dbm based on sqlite3: http://code.activestate.com/recipes/576638/ It is a pure python module and probably will not be used directly, but shelves will see an immediate benefit (especially for large shelves) in terms of speed and space.

On the one hand, it is an API change or new feature because people can (if they choose) access the dbm directly. OTOH, it is basically a performance fix for shelves whose API won't change at all. The part that is visible and incompatible is that 3.0.1 shelves won't be readable by 3.0.0.

The problem is that the obvious candidate for doing the vetting is the Release Manager, and Barry doesn't like this approach. The vetting does need to be handled by a core committer IMO -- MAL, are you volunteering? Anyone else?

It should be someone who is using 3.0 regularly (ideally someone who is working on fixing it). IMO, people who aren't exercising it don't really have a feel for the problems or the cost/benefits of the fixes.

Barry, are you actively opposed to marking 3.0.x as experimental, or do you just dislike it? (I.e. are you -1 or -0?)

My preference is to not mark it as experimental. Instead, I prefer doing what it takes to make the 3.0.x series viable.

Raymond

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