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

Antoine Pitrou solipsis at pitrou.net
Sat Jan 28 23:02:37 CET 2012

>You're proposing that new experimental modules spit warnings when you >use them?

To be explicit, when the system loada them.

There are many reasons to import a module, such as viewing its documentation. And the warning will trigger if the import happens in non-user code, such as a library; or when there is a fallback for the module not being present. People usually get annoyed by intempestive warnings which don't warn about an actual problem.

>(something we do want to do even though we also want to convey the idea >that they're not yet "stable" or "fully approved")

Doing it with a message pointing at the page describing the status makes sure users read the docs before using them.

Sure, it's just much less user-friendly than conveying that idea in the module's namespace. Besides, it only works if warnings are not silenced.

People are used to future (and I've seen no indication that they don't like it). preview is another application of the same pattern (using a special namespace to indicate the status of a feature).

Regards

Antoine.

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