[Python-Dev] PEP 408 -- Standard library preview package (original) (raw)

Alex alex.gaynor at gmail.com
Fri Jan 27 18:26:29 CET 2012

Eli Bendersky <eliben gmail.com> writes:

Hello, Following an earlier discussion on python-ideas [1], we would like to propose the following PEP for review. Discussion is welcome. The PEP can also be viewed in HTML form at http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0408/ [1] http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/2012-January/013246.html

I'm -1 on this, for a pretty simple reason. Something goes into preview, instead of it's final destination directly because it needs feedback/possibly changes. However, given the release cycle of the stdlib (~18 months), any feedback it gets can't be seen by actual users until it's too late. Essentially you can only get one round of stdlib.

I think a significantly healthier process (in terms of maximizing feedback and getting something into it's best shape) is to let a project evolve naturally on PyPi and in the ecosystem, give feedback to it from an inclusion perspective, and then include it when it becomes ready on it's own merits. The counter argument to this is that putting it in the stdlib gets you signficantly more eyeballs (and hopefully more feedback, therefore), my only response to this is: if it doesn't get eyeballs on PyPi I don't think there's a great enough need to justify it in the stdlib.

Alex

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