[Python-Dev] Downloads page: Which version of Python should be listed first? (original) (raw)

Ross Lagerwall rosslagerwall at gmail.com
Thu Dec 13 22:14:51 CET 2012

On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 07:57:52AM +1100, Chris Angelico wrote:

The default version shown on http://docs.python.org/ is now 3.3.0, which I think is a Good Thing. However, http://python.org/download/ puts 2.7 first, and says:

"""If you don't know which version to use, start with Python 2.7; more existing third party software is compatible with Python 2 than Python 3 right now.""" Firstly, is this still true? (I wouldn't have a clue.) And secondly, would this be better worded as "one's better but the other's a good fall-back"? Something like: """Don't know which version to use? Python 3.3 is the recommended version for new projects, but much existing software is compatible with Python 2."""

I would say listing 3.3 as the recommended version to use is a good thing, especially as distros like Ubuntu and Fedora transition to Python 3. It also makes sense, given that the docs default to 3.3.

-- Ross Lagerwall

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