python-peps/pep-0283.txt

PEP: 283
Title: Python 2.3 Release Schedule
Version: $Revision$
Author: Guido van Rossum
Status: Incomplete
Type: Informational
Created: 27-Feb-2002
Python-Version: 2.3
Post-History: 27-Feb-2002

Abstract

    This document describes the development and release schedule for
    Python 2.3.  The schedule primarily concerns itself with PEP-sized
    items.  Small features may be added until the first beta release.
    Bugs may be fixed until the final release.

    There is currently no defined schedule.  We hope to do the final
    release before the end of 2002, but if important projects below
    are delayed, even that may be delayed.

    There will be at least two alpha releases, two beta releases, and
    one release candidate.  Alpha and beta releases will be spaced at
    least 4 weeks apart (except if an emergency release must be made
    to correct a blunder in the previous release; then the blunder
    release does not count).  Release candidates will be spaced at
    least one week apart (excepting again blunder corrections).


Release Manager

    Barry Warsaw.  (Didn't have his finger on his nose in time. :)


Open issues

    There are some issues that may need more work and/or thought
    before the final release (and preferably before the first beta
    release).  For example:

    - Set API issues; is the sets module perfect?

    - A nicer API to open text files, replacing the ugly (in some
      people's eyes) "U" mode flag.  There's a proposal out there to
      have a new built-in type textfile(filename, mode, encoding).
      (Shouldn't it have a bufsize argument too?)

    - Fredrik Lundh's basetime proposal:
      http://effbot.org/ideas/time-type.htm

    - New widgets for Tkinter???

    - Tk 8.4 update.


Completed features for 2.3

    This list is not complete; e.g. missing are bool, PyMalloc, and
    universal newlines, which were in before this PEP appeared.

    - PEP 263  Defining Python Source Code Encodings

      Implemented (at least phase 1, which is all that's planned for
      2.3).

    - Extended slice notation for all built-in sequences.  The patch
      by Michael Hudson is now all checked in.

    - Speed up list iterations by filling tp_iter and other tweaks.
      See http://www.python.org/sf/560736; also done for xrange and
      tuples.

    - Timeout sockets.  http://www.python.org/sf/555085

    - Stage B0 of the int/long integration (PEP 237).  This means
      issuing a FutureWarning about situations where hex or oct
      conversions or left shifts returns a different value for an int
      than for a long with the same value.  The semantics do *not*
      change in Python 2.3; that will happen in Python 2.4.

    - Nuke SET_LINENO from all code objects (providing a different way
      to set debugger breakpoints).  This can boost pystone by >5%.
      http://www.python.org/sf/587993, now checked in.  (Unfortunately
      the pystone boost didn't happen.  What happened?)

    - Write a pymemcompat.h that people can bundle with their
      extensions and then use the 2.3 memory interface with all
      Pythons in the range 1.5.2 to 2.3.  (Michael Hudson checked in
      Misc/pymemcompat.h.)

    - Add a new concept, "pending deprecation", with associated
      warning PendingDeprecationWarning.  This warning is normally
      suppressed, but can be enabled by a suitable -W option.  (This
      has been added, but nothing uses it yet.)

    - Warn when an extension type's tp_compare returns anything except
      -1, 0 or 1.  http://www.python.org/sf/472523 

    - Warn for assignment to None (in various forms).

    - PEP 218  Adding a Built-In Set Object Type            Wilson

      Alex Martelli contributed a new version of Greg Wilson's
      prototype, and I've reworked that quite a bit.  It's in the
      standard library now as the module "sets", although some details
      may still change until the first beta release.  (There are no
      plans to make this a built-in type, for now.)

    - PEP 293  Codec error handling callbacks               D<>rwald

      Fully implemented.  Error handling in unicode.encode or
      str.decode can now be customized.


Planned features for 2.3

    Here are a few PEPs and other ideas under consideration, with
    comments in "parade of the PEPs" style.  Not all of these will be
    part of the final 2.3 release; we'll update the list as decisions
    crystallize.

    This is pretty much an unordered laundry list.  Please send
    feedback to python-dev@python.org; I hope to maintain this for the
    life of the 2.3 development process.

    - PEP 273  Import Modules from Zip Archives             Ahlstrom

      There's hope for an updated patch at
      http://www.python.org/sf/492105

    - PEP 282  A Logging System                             Mick

      Vinay Sajip's implementation is close to completion, but could
      stand a restructuring (some of the classes don't belong in the
      core module; maybe the whole thing should become a package).
      http://www.python.org/sf/578494

    - A new command line option parser.  Greg Ward's Optik
      (http://optik.sf.net) fits the bill fine; there's only some
      question about whether it should be given a less "cutesy" name.
      See also http://www.python.org/sigs/getopt-sig/

    - Provide alternatives for common uses of the types module;
      Skip Montanaro has posted a proto-PEP for this idea:
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-May/024346.html
      Unfortunately there hasn't been much progress on this.

    - An iterator tools module featuring goodies from SML and Haskell?
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-May/024418.html

    - Deprecate the buffer object.
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-July/026388.html
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-July/026408.html
      No progress; the last time this was brought up only Marc-Andre
      Lemburg said he had a use for it.  I need to find out exactly
      what that need is and how much of the buffer object we can retire.

    - PEP 262  Database of Installed Python Packages        Kuchling

      Andrew is still hopeful that he'll implement this.

    - Add support for the long-awaited Python catalog.  Kapil
      Thangavelu has a Zope-based implementation that he demoed at
      OSCON 2002.  Now all we need is a place to host it and a person
      to champion it.

    - A standard datetime type.  An implementation effort is under way:
      http://www.zope.org/Members/fdrake/DateTimeWiki/FrontPage
      Effbot and MAL have a proposal for a basic interface that all
      datetime types should implement, but there are some problems with
      UTC.  A decision needs to be made.

    - Decide on a clearer deprecation policy (especially for modules)
      and act on it.  For a start, see this message from Neil Norwitz:
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-April/023165.html

    - Use pending deprecation for the types and string modules.  This
      requires providing alternatives for the parts that aren't
      covered yet (e.g. string.whitespace and types.TracebackType).

    - PEP 269  Pgen Module for Python                       Riehl

      Jon Riehl is going to attempt an implementation by mid-September.

    - Documentation: complete the distribution and installation
      manuals.

    - Documentation: complete the documentation for new-style
      classes.

    - Look over the Demos/ directory and update where required.

    - New tests.

    - Fix doc bugs on SF.

    - Remove use of deprecated features in the core.

    - Document deprecated features appropriately.

    - Move deprecated features under Py_DEPRECATED (or whatever is decided)

    - Deprecate modules which are unmaintained, or perhaps make a new
      category for modules 'Unmaintained'

    - In general, lots of cleanup so it is easier to move forward.


Features unlikely to make it into Python 2.3

    - PEP 266  Optimizing Global Variable/Attribute Access  Montanaro
      PEP 267  Optimized Access to Module Namespaces        Hylton
      PEP 280  Optimizing access to globals                 van Rossum

      These are basically three friendly competing proposals.  Jeremy
      has made a little progress with a new compiler, but it's going
      slow and the compiler is only the first step.  Maybe we'll be
      able to refactor the compiler in this release.  I'm tempted to
      say we won't hold our breath.  In the mean time, Oren Tirosh has
      a much simpler idea that may give a serious boost to the
      performance of accessing globals and built-ins, by optimizing
      and inlining the dict access:
      http://tothink.com/python/fastnames/

    - Lazily tracking tuples?
      http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2002-May/023926.html
      http://www.python.org/sf/558745
      Not much enthusiasm I believe.

    - PEP 286  Enhanced Argument Tuples                     von Loewis

      I haven't had the time to review this thoroughly.  It seems a
      deep optimization hack (also makes better correctness guarantees
      though).

    - Make 'as' a keyword.  It has been a pseudo-keyword long enough.
      Too much effort to bother.


Copyright

    This document has been placed in the public domain.



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