[Python-Dev] Python for new users (original) (raw)

Stephen J. Turnbull stephen at xemacs.org
Tue Oct 1 03:58:41 CEST 2013

Nick Efford writes:

Widely-used and linked web resources tend to persist for a very long time, so we shouldn't use the prevalence of Python 2 resources as a reason for excessive caution. The key question is how much good material is available based on Python 3 - and this has improved significantly over the past couple of years.

No, it really isn't, at least it's not more key than some other questions. Educators like you, and like me, who are in a position to teach pretty much what we want are somewhat limited by that (but it's really not that hard to take your favorite Python 2 tutorial and port it to Python 3) will certainly consider that the key question -- we can't spend all our time on one class.

But there's another kind of educator, the consultant who goes into a company (or perhaps comes from their training department) who will need to teach the gory details that differ because they matter to the applications the trainees will be maintaining and extending.

And of course self-taught programmers are likely to use something time-tested and recommended by their peers.

I agree that the prevalence of Python 2 materials per se is not a reason for excessive caution, but I suspect if you look closely you'll discover that new ones are being produced and old ones revised and enhanced. I'll personally be interested to see what happens in the next revision of Python Essential Reference for example. (And so will Nori: http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/media/Nori-swears-by-Python-Essential-Reference.jpg)

Encouraging the continued use of 2.7 for existing programmers is entirely justifiable,

I would disagree. Programmers should not be discouraged from using any version of Python that is needed for compatibility with existing practice, but where possible with reasonable effort, the most recent version of Python 3 should be encouraged.

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