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

Barry Warsaw barry at python.org
Sat Jan 28 02:58:40 CET 2012

On Jan 28, 2012, at 11:13 AM, Nick Coghlan wrote:

Really, regex is the reason this PEP exists: we know we need to either replace or seriously enhance "re" (since its Unicode handling isn't up to scratch), but we're only pretty sure adding "regex" to the stdlib is the right answer. Adding "preview.regex" instead gives us a chance to back out if we uncover serious problems (e.g. with the cross-platform support).

I'd also feel much better about this PEP if we had specific ways to measure success. If, for example, regex were added to Python 3.3, but removed from 3.4 because we didn't get enough feedback about it, then I'd consider the approach put forward in this PEP to be a failure. Experiments that fail are okay of course, if they are viewed as experiments, there are clear metrics to measure their success, and we have the guts to end the experiment if it doesn't work out.

Of course, if it's a resounding success, then that's fantastic too.

-Barry

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