[Python-Dev] Removing IDLE from the standard library (original) (raw)

Mark Lawrence breamoreboy at yahoo.co.uk
Mon Jul 12 01:03:52 CEST 2010

On 11/07/2010 23:18, Tal Einat wrote:

Martin v. Löwis wrote:

Initially (five years ago!) I tried to overcome these issues by improving IDLE, solving problems and adding a few key features. Without going into details, suffice to say that IDLE hasn't improved much since 2005 despite my efforts. For example, see http://bugs.python.org/issue1529142, where it took nearly 3 years to fix a major issue from the moment I posted the first workaround. For another example, see http://bugs.python.org/issue3068, where I posted a patch for an extension configuration dialog over two years ago, and it hasn't received as much as a sneeze in response.

I can understand that this is frustrating, ... I am not writing this to vent my frustration, and have purposely avoided making that the issue. ... but please understand that this is not specific to your patches, or to IDLE. Many other patches on bugs.python.org remain unreviewed for many years. That's because many of the issues are really tricky, and there are very few people who both have the time and the expertise to evaluate them. I am aware of the situation with regard to issue reviews, but I think with IDLE there is more going on. In other parts of the Python codebase, a workaround for a major usability issue wouldn't normally have taken nearly three years to resolve after a working patch was submitted. And a working, well-tested patch wouldn't normally have sat ignored for over two years. Well, perhaps these things happen occasionally, but with IDLE this is the norm. FWIW, I don't consider a few months as a "long" time for a patch review. At the moment, I'm personally able to perhaps review one issue per week (sometimes less); at this rate, it'll take several years until I get to everything. I'm not talking about a few months, I'm talking about at least six months in most cases, years in many cases, as in the examples I mentioned. - Tal Einat

I can understand your frustration, but in response to an appeal from Terry Reedy some weeks back on c.l.py I've done a substantial amount of work in the last couple of weeks to clear outstanding issues, sadly IDLE just sits in the pile. Ow, but hang on a minute, I've already volunteered TJR to take this on, I believe he's up for it, I'll support him up to the hilt, so why the hell can't we get on with it? Or would the triage team as it stands object cos they'll be put out of a job? :)

Kindest regards.

Mark Lawrence.

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