[Python-Dev] Remove typing from the stdlib (original) (raw)

Steve Holden steve at holdenweb.com
Tue Nov 7 05🔞40 EST 2017

On Tue, Nov 7, 2017 at 12:35 AM, Donald Stufft <donald at stufft.io> wrote: [..]

Maybe we just need to fully flesh out the idea of a "Python Core" (What exists now as “Python”) and a “Python Platform” (Python Core + A select set of preinstalled libraries). Then typing can just be part of the Python Platform, and gets installed as part of your typical installation, but is otherwise an independent piece of code.

Given that (type and other) annotations have been promoted as an optional feature of the language it seems unfair and perhaps unwise to add a dependency specifically to support ​them to the stdlib and therefore the Python core. ​ Since type annotations are, as Paul pointed out, development-time features, it​ would appear to behoove those wishing to use them to separate them in such a way that the software can be installed without annotations, and therefore without the need for the typing module. Assuming they would like to see the widest possible distribution, of course. For selected audiences I am sure typing will be de rigeur,

​In this scenario, surely the most "typical" installation would be a virtualenv. ​Do all virtualenvs rely on the same Platform? Who decides which additional libraries are required for the Platform? Doesn't this just add another "type of installation" distinction to confuse the unwary? How do I maintain the Platform separately from the Core? Does my sysadmin maintain either or both? I'd like to see a little more clarity about the benefits such a schism would offer.

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