819 lines
36 KiB
Plaintext
819 lines
36 KiB
Plaintext
PEP: 1
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Title: PEP Purpose and Guidelines
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Author: Barry Warsaw, Jeremy Hylton, David Goodger, Nick Coghlan
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Status: Active
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Type: Process
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Content-Type: text/x-rst
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Created: 13-Jun-2000
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Post-History: 21-Mar-2001, 29-Jul-2002, 03-May-2003, 05-May-2012,
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07-Apr-2013
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What is a PEP?
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==============
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PEP stands for Python Enhancement Proposal. A PEP is a design
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document providing information to the Python community, or describing
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a new feature for Python or its processes or environment. The PEP
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should provide a concise technical specification of the feature and a
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rationale for the feature.
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We intend PEPs to be the primary mechanisms for proposing major new
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features, for collecting community input on an issue, and for
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documenting the design decisions that have gone into Python. The PEP
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author is responsible for building consensus within the community and
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documenting dissenting opinions.
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Because the PEPs are maintained as text files in a versioned
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repository, their revision history is the historical record of the
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feature proposal [1]_.
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PEP Audience
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============
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The typical primary audience for PEPs are the core developers of the CPython
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reference interpreter and their elected Steering Council, as well as developers
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of other implementations of the Python language specification.
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However, other parts of the Python community may also choose to use the process
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(particularly for Informational PEPs) to document expected API conventions and
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to manage complex design coordination problems that require collaboration across
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multiple projects.
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PEP Types
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=========
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There are three kinds of PEP:
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1. A **Standards Track** PEP describes a new feature or implementation
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for Python. It may also describe an interoperability standard that will
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be supported outside the standard library for current Python versions
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before a subsequent PEP adds standard library support in a future
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version.
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2. An **Informational** PEP describes a Python design issue, or
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provides general guidelines or information to the Python community,
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but does not propose a new feature. Informational PEPs do not
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necessarily represent a Python community consensus or
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recommendation, so users and implementers are free to ignore
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Informational PEPs or follow their advice.
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3. A **Process** PEP describes a process surrounding Python, or
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proposes a change to (or an event in) a process. Process PEPs are
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like Standards Track PEPs but apply to areas other than the Python
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language itself. They may propose an implementation, but not to
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Python's codebase; they often require community consensus; unlike
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Informational PEPs, they are more than recommendations, and users
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are typically not free to ignore them. Examples include
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procedures, guidelines, changes to the decision-making process, and
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changes to the tools or environment used in Python development.
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Any meta-PEP is also considered a Process PEP.
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PEP Workflow
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============
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Python's Steering Council
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-------------------------
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There are several references in this PEP to the "Steering Council" or "Council".
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This refers to the current members of the elected Steering Council described
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in PEP 13 [5]_, in their role as the final authorities on whether or not PEPs
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will be accepted or rejected.
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Python's Core Developers
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------------------------
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There are several references in this PEP to "core developers". This refers to
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the currently active Python core team members described in PEP 13 [5]_.
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Python's BDFL
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-------------
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Previous versions of this PEP used the title "BDFL-Delegate" for PEP decision
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makers. This was a historical reference to Python's previous governance model,
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where all design authority ultimately derived from Guido van Rossum, the
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original creator of the Python programming language. By contrast, the Steering
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Council's design authority derives from their election by the currently active
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core developers. Now, PEP-Delegate is used in place of BDFL-Delegate.
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PEP Editors
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-----------
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The PEP editors are individuals responsible for managing the administrative
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and editorial aspects of the PEP workflow (e.g. assigning PEP numbers and
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changing their status). See `PEP Editor Responsibilities & Workflow`_ for
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details.
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PEP editorship is by invitation of the current editors, and they can be
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contacted by mentioning ``@python/pep-editors`` on GitHub. All of the PEP
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workflow can be conducted via the GitHub `PEP repository`_ issues and pull
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requests.
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Start with an idea for Python
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-----------------------------
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The PEP process begins with a new idea for Python. It is highly
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recommended that a single PEP contain a single key proposal or new
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idea. Small enhancements or patches often don't need
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a PEP and can be injected into the Python development workflow with a
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patch submission to the Python `issue tracker`_. The more focused the
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PEP, the more successful it tends to be. The PEP editors reserve the
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right to reject PEP proposals if they appear too unfocused or too
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broad. If in doubt, split your PEP into several well-focused ones.
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Each PEP must have a champion -- someone who writes the PEP using the style
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and format described below, shepherds the discussions in the appropriate
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forums, and attempts to build community consensus around the idea. The PEP
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champion (a.k.a. Author) should first attempt to ascertain whether the idea is
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PEP-able. Posting to the comp.lang.python newsgroup
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(a.k.a. python-list@python.org mailing list) or the python-ideas@python.org
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mailing list is the best way to go about this.
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Vetting an idea publicly before going as far as writing a PEP is meant
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to save the potential author time. Many ideas have been brought
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forward for changing Python that have been rejected for various
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reasons. Asking the Python community first if an idea is original
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helps prevent too much time being spent on something that is
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guaranteed to be rejected based on prior discussions (searching
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the internet does not always do the trick). It also helps to make sure
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the idea is applicable to the entire community and not just the author.
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Just because an idea sounds good to the author does not
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mean it will work for most people in most areas where Python is used.
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Once the champion has asked the Python community as to whether an
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idea has any chance of acceptance, a draft PEP should be presented to
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python-ideas. This gives the author a chance to flesh out the draft
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PEP to make properly formatted, of high quality, and to address
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initial concerns about the proposal.
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Submitting a PEP
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----------------
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Following a discussion on python-ideas, the workflow varies based on whether
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any of the PEP's co-authors are core developers. If one or more of the PEP's
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co-authors are core developers, they are responsible for following the process
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outlined below. Otherwise (i.e. none of the co-authors are core developers),
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then the PEP author(s) will need to find a sponsor for the PEP.
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Ideally, a core developer sponsor is identified, but non-core sponsors may also
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be selected with the approval of the Steering Council. The sponsor's job is to
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provide guidance to the PEP author to help them through the logistics of the
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PEP process (somewhat acting like a mentor). Being a sponsor does **not**
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disqualify that person from becoming a co-author or PEP-Delegate later on (but
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not both). The sponsor of a PEP is recorded in the "Sponsor:" field of the
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header.
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Once the sponsor or the core developer(s) co-authoring the PEP deem the PEP
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ready for submission, the proposal should be submitted as a draft PEP via a
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`GitHub pull request`_. The draft must be written in PEP style as described
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below, else it will fail review immediately (although minor errors may be
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corrected by the editors).
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The standard PEP workflow is:
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* You, the PEP author, fork the `PEP repository`_, and create a file named
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``pep-9999.rst`` that contains your new PEP. Use "9999" as your draft PEP
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number.
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* In the "Type:" header field, enter "Standards Track",
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"Informational", or "Process" as appropriate, and for the "Status:"
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field enter "Draft". For full details, see `PEP Header Preamble`_.
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* Push this to your GitHub fork and submit a pull request.
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* The PEP editors review your PR for structure, formatting, and other
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errors. For a reST-formatted PEP, PEP 12 is provided as a template.
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It also provides a complete introduction to reST markup that is used
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in PEPs. Approval criteria are:
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* It sound and complete. The ideas must make technical sense. The
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editors do not consider whether they seem likely to be accepted.
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* The title accurately describes the content.
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* The PEP's language (spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc.)
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and code style (examples should match PEP 8 & PEP 7) should be
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correct and conformant. The PEP will be checked for formatting
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(plain text or reStructuredText) by Travis CI, and will not be
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approved until this passes.
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Editors are generally quite lenient about this initial review,
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expecting that problems will be corrected by the reviewing process.
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**Note:** Approval of the PEP is no guarantee that there are no
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embarrassing mistakes! Correctness is the responsibility of authors
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and reviewers, not the editors.
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If the PEP isn't ready for approval, an editor will send it back to
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the author for revision, with specific instructions.
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* Once approved, they will assign your PEP a number.
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Once the review process is complete, and the PEP editors approve it (note that
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this is *not* the same as accepting your PEP!), they will squash commit your
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pull request onto master.
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The PEP editors will not unreasonably deny publication of a PEP. Reasons for
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denying PEP status include duplication of effort, being technically unsound,
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not providing proper motivation or addressing backwards compatibility, or not
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in keeping with the Python philosophy. The Steering Council can be consulted
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during the approval phase, and are the final arbiter of a draft's PEP-ability.
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Developers with git push privileges for the `PEP repository`_ may claim PEP
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numbers directly by creating and committing a new PEP. When doing so, the
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developer must handle the tasks that would normally be taken care of by the
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PEP editors (see `PEP Editor Responsibilities & Workflow`_). This includes
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ensuring the initial version meets the expected standards for submitting a
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PEP. Alternately, even developers should submit PEPs via pull request.
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When doing so, you are generally expected to handle the process yourself;
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if you need assistance from PEP editors, mention ``@python/pep-editors``
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on GitHub.
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As updates are necessary, the PEP author can check in new versions if they
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(or a collaborating developer) have git push privileges.
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After a PEP number has been assigned, a draft PEP may be discussed further on
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python-ideas (getting a PEP number assigned early can be useful for ease of
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reference, especially when multiple draft PEPs are being considered at the
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same time). Eventually, all Standards Track PEPs must be sent to the
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`python-dev list <mailto:python-dev@python.org>`__ for review as described
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in the next section.
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Standards Track PEPs consist of two parts, a design document and a
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reference implementation. It is generally recommended that at least a
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prototype implementation be co-developed with the PEP, as ideas that sound
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good in principle sometimes turn out to be impractical when subjected to the
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test of implementation.
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PEP authors are responsible for collecting community feedback on a PEP
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before submitting it for review. However, wherever possible, long
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open-ended discussions on public mailing lists should be avoided.
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Strategies to keep the discussions efficient include: setting up a
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separate SIG mailing list for the topic, having the PEP author accept
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private comments in the early design phases, setting up a wiki page, etc.
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PEP authors should use their discretion here.
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PEP Review & Resolution
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-----------------------
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Once the authors have completed a PEP, they may request a review for
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style and consistency from the PEP editors.
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However, content review and final acceptance of the PEP must be requested of the
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core developers, usually via an email to the python-dev mailing list.
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To expedite the process in selected cases (e.g. when a change is clearly
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beneficial and ready to be accepted, but the PEP hasn't been formally submitted
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for review yet), the Steering Council may also initiate a PEP review, first
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notifying the PEP author(s) and giving them a chance to make revisions.
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The final authority for PEP approval is the Steering Council. However, whenever
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a new PEP is put forward, any core developer that believes they are suitably
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experienced to make the final decision on that PEP may offer to serve as
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the PEP-Delegate for that PEP, and they will then have the authority to approve
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(or reject) that PEP. Individuals taking on this responsibility are free to seek
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additional guidance from the Steering Council at any time, and are also expected
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to take the advice and perspectives of other core developers into account.
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The designated decision maker for each PEP is recorded in the "PEP-Delegate"
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header in the PEP.
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Such self-nominations are accepted by default, but may be explicitly declined by
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the Steering Council. Possible reasons for the Steering Council declining a
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self-nomination as PEP-Delegate include, but are not limited to, perceptions of
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a potential conflict of interest (e.g. working for the same organisation as the
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PEP submitter), or simply considering another potential PEP-Delegate to be
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more appropriate. If core developers (or other community members) have concerns
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regarding the suitability of a PEP-Delegate for any given PEP, they may ask
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the Steering Council to review the delegation.
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If no volunteer steps forward, then the Steering Council will approach core
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developers (and potentially other Python community members) with relevant
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expertise, in an attempt to identify a candidate that is willing to serve as
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PEP-Delegate for that PEP. If no suitable candidate can be found, then the
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PEP will be marked as Deferred until one is available.
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Previously appointed PEP-Delegates may choose to step down, or be asked to step
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down by the Council, in which case a new PEP-Delegate will be appointed in the
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same manner as for a new PEP (including deferral of the PEP if no suitable
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replacement can be found). In the event that a PEP-Delegate is asked to step
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down, this will overrule any prior acceptance or rejection of the PEP, and it
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will revert to Draft status.
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With the approval of the Steering Council, PEP review and resolution may also
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occur on a list other than python-dev (for example, distutils-sig for packaging
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related PEPs that don't immediately affect the standard library). In these
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cases, the "Discussions-To" heading in the PEP will identify the appropriate
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alternative list where discussion, review and pronouncement on the PEP will
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occur.
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When such standing delegations are put in place, the Steering Council will
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maintain sufficient public records to allow subsequent Councils, the core
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developers, and the wider Python community to understand the delegations that
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currently exist, why they were put in place, and the circumstances under which
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they may no longer be needed.
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For a PEP to be accepted it must meet certain minimum criteria. It
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must be a clear and complete description of the proposed enhancement.
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The enhancement must represent a net improvement. The proposed
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implementation, if applicable, must be solid and must not complicate
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the interpreter unduly. Finally, a proposed enhancement must be
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"pythonic" in order to be accepted by the Steering Council. (However,
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"pythonic" is an imprecise term; it may be defined as whatever is acceptable to
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the Steering Council. This logic is intentionally circular.) See PEP 2 [2]_
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for standard library module acceptance criteria.
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Once a PEP has been accepted, the reference implementation must be
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completed. When the reference implementation is complete and incorporated
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into the main source code repository, the status will be changed to "Final".
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To allow gathering of additional design and interface feedback before committing
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to long term stability for a language feature or standard library API, a PEP
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may also be marked as "Provisional". This is short for "Provisionally Accepted",
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and indicates that the proposal has been accepted for inclusion in the reference
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implementation, but additional user feedback is needed before the full design
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can be considered "Final". Unlike regular accepted PEPs, provisionally accepted
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PEPs may still be Rejected or Withdrawn *even after the related changes have
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been included in a Python release*.
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Wherever possible, it is considered preferable to reduce the scope of a proposal
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to avoid the need to rely on the "Provisional" status (e.g. by deferring some
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features to later PEPs), as this status can lead to version compatibility
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challenges in the wider Python ecosystem. PEP 411 provides additional details
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on potential use cases for the Provisional status.
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A PEP can also be assigned the status "Deferred". The PEP author or an
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editor can assign the PEP this status when no progress is being made
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on the PEP. Once a PEP is deferred, a PEP editor can reassign it
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to draft status.
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A PEP can also be "Rejected". Perhaps after all is said and done it
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was not a good idea. It is still important to have a record of this
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fact. The "Withdrawn" status is similar - it means that the PEP author
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themselves has decided that the PEP is actually a bad idea, or has
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accepted that a competing proposal is a better alternative.
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When a PEP is Accepted, Rejected or Withdrawn, the PEP should be updated
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accordingly. In addition to updating the status field, at the very least
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the Resolution header should be added with a link to the relevant post
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in the python-dev mailing list archives.
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PEPs can also be superseded by a different PEP, rendering the original
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obsolete. This is intended for Informational PEPs, where version 2 of
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an API can replace version 1.
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The possible paths of the status of PEPs are as follows:
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.. image:: pep-0001-process_flow.png
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:alt: PEP process flow diagram
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While not shown in the diagram, "Accepted" PEPs may technically move to
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"Rejected" or "Withdrawn" even after acceptance. This will only occur if
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the implementation process reveals fundamental flaws in the design that were
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not noticed prior to acceptance of the PEP. Unlike Provisional PEPs, these
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transitions are only permitted if the accepted proposal has *not* been included
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in a Python release - released changes must instead go through the regular
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deprecation process (which may require a new PEP providing the rationale for
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the deprecation).
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Some Informational and Process PEPs may also have a status of "Active"
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if they are never meant to be completed. E.g. PEP 1 (this PEP).
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PEP Maintenance
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---------------
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In general, Standards track PEPs are no longer modified after they have
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reached the Final state. Once a PEP has been completed, the Language and
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Standard Library References become the formal documentation of the expected
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behavior.
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If changes based on implementation experience and user feedback are made to
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Standards track PEPs while in the Accepted or Provisional State, those changes
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should be noted in the PEP, such that the PEP accurately describes the state of
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the implementation at the point where it is marked Final.
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Informational and Process PEPs may be updated over time to reflect changes
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to development practices and other details. The precise process followed in
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these cases will depend on the nature and purpose of the PEP being updated.
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What belongs in a successful PEP?
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=================================
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Each PEP should have the following parts/sections:
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1. Preamble -- RFC 822 style headers containing meta-data about the
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PEP, including the PEP number, a short descriptive title (limited
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to a maximum of 44 characters), the names, and optionally the
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contact info for each author, etc.
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2. Abstract -- a short (~200 word) description of the technical issue
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being addressed.
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3. Motivation -- The motivation is critical for PEPs that want to
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change the Python language, library, or ecosystem. It should
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clearly explain why the existing language specification is
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inadequate to address the problem that the PEP solves. This can
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include collecting documented support for the PEP from important
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projects in the Python ecosystem. PEP submissions without
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sufficient motivation may be rejected.
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4. Rationale -- The rationale fleshes out the specification by
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describing why particular design decisions were made. It should
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describe alternate designs that were considered and related work,
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e.g. how the feature is supported in other languages.
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The rationale should provide evidence of consensus within the
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community and discuss important objections or concerns raised
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during discussion.
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5. Specification -- The technical specification should describe the
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syntax and semantics of any new language feature. The
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specification should be detailed enough to allow competing,
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interoperable implementations for at least the current major Python
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platforms (CPython, Jython, IronPython, PyPy).
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6. Backwards Compatibility -- All PEPs that introduce backwards
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incompatibilities must include a section describing these
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incompatibilities and their severity. The PEP must explain how the
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author proposes to deal with these incompatibilities. PEP
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submissions without a sufficient backwards compatibility treatise
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may be rejected outright.
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7. Security Implications -- If there are security concerns in relation
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to the PEP, those concerns should be explicitly written out to make
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sure reviewers of the PEP are aware of them.
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8. How to Teach This -- For a PEP that adds new functionality or changes
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language behavior, it is helpful to include a section on how to
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teach users, new and experienced, how to apply the PEP to their
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work.
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This section may include key points and recommended documentation
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changes that would help users adopt a new feature or migrate their
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code to use a language change.
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9. Reference Implementation -- The reference implementation must be
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completed before any PEP is given status "Final", but it need not
|
|
be completed before the PEP is accepted. While there is merit
|
|
to the approach of reaching consensus on the specification and
|
|
rationale before writing code, the principle of "rough consensus
|
|
and running code" is still useful when it comes to resolving many
|
|
discussions of API details.
|
|
|
|
The final implementation must include test code and documentation
|
|
appropriate for either the Python language reference or the
|
|
standard library reference.
|
|
|
|
10. Rejected Ideas -- Throughout the discussion of a PEP, various ideas
|
|
will be proposed which are not accepted. Those rejected ideas should
|
|
be recorded along with the reasoning as to why they were rejected.
|
|
This both helps record the thought process behind the final version
|
|
of the PEP as well as preventing people from bringing up the same
|
|
rejected idea again in subsequent discussions.
|
|
|
|
In a way this section can be thought of as a breakout section of the
|
|
Rationale section that is focused specifically on why certain ideas
|
|
were not ultimately pursued.
|
|
|
|
11. Open Issues -- While a PEP is in draft, ideas can come up which
|
|
warrant further discussion. Those ideas should be recorded so people
|
|
know that they are being thought about but do not have a concrete
|
|
resolution. This helps make sure all issues required for the PEP to be
|
|
ready for consideration are complete and reduces people duplicating
|
|
prior discussion.
|
|
|
|
12. References -- A collection of URLs used as references through the PEP.
|
|
|
|
13. Copyright/license -- Each new PEP must be placed under a dual license of
|
|
public domain and CC0-1.0-Universal_ (see this PEP for an example).
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEP Formats and Templates
|
|
=========================
|
|
|
|
PEPs are UTF-8 encoded text files using the reStructuredText_ format.
|
|
ReStructuredText_ allows for rich markup that is still quite easy to
|
|
read, but also results in good-looking and functional HTML. PEP 12
|
|
contains instructions and a template [4]_ for reStructuredText PEPs.
|
|
|
|
The PEP text files are automatically converted to HTML [6]_ for easier
|
|
`online reading <https://www.python.org/dev/peps/>`__.
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEP Header Preamble
|
|
===================
|
|
|
|
Each PEP must begin with an RFC 822 style header preamble. The headers
|
|
must appear in the following order. Headers marked with "*" are
|
|
optional and are described below. All other headers are required. ::
|
|
|
|
PEP: <pep number>
|
|
Title: <pep title>
|
|
Author: <list of authors' real names and optionally, email addrs>
|
|
* Sponsor: <real name of sponsor>
|
|
* PEP-Delegate: <PEP delegate's real name>
|
|
* Discussions-To: <email address>
|
|
Status: <Draft | Active | Accepted | Provisional | Deferred | Rejected |
|
|
Withdrawn | Final | Superseded>
|
|
Type: <Standards Track | Informational | Process>
|
|
* Content-Type: <text/x-rst | text/plain>
|
|
* Requires: <pep numbers>
|
|
Created: <date created on, in dd-mmm-yyyy format>
|
|
* Python-Version: <version number>
|
|
Post-History: <dates of postings to python-ideas and/or python-dev>
|
|
* Replaces: <pep number>
|
|
* Superseded-By: <pep number>
|
|
* Resolution: <url>
|
|
|
|
The Author header lists the names, and optionally the email addresses
|
|
of all the authors/owners of the PEP. The format of the Author header
|
|
value must be
|
|
|
|
Random J. User <address@dom.ain>
|
|
|
|
if the email address is included, and just
|
|
|
|
Random J. User
|
|
|
|
if the address is not given. For historical reasons the format
|
|
"address@dom.ain (Random J. User)" may appear in a PEP, however new
|
|
PEPs must use the mandated format above, and it is acceptable to
|
|
change to this format when PEPs are updated.
|
|
|
|
If there are multiple authors, each should be on a separate line
|
|
following RFC 2822 continuation line conventions. Note that personal
|
|
email addresses in PEPs will be obscured as a defense against spam
|
|
harvesters.
|
|
|
|
The Sponsor field records which developer (core, or otherwise approved by the
|
|
Steering Council) is sponsoring the PEP. If one of the authors of the PEP is a
|
|
core developer then no sponsor is necessary and thus this field should be left
|
|
out.
|
|
|
|
The PEP-Delegate field is used to record the individual appointed by the
|
|
Steering Council to make the final decision on whether or not to approve or
|
|
reject a PEP. (The delegate's email address is currently omitted due to a
|
|
limitation in the email address masking for reStructuredText PEPs)
|
|
|
|
*Note: The Resolution header is required for Standards Track PEPs
|
|
only. It contains a URL that should point to an email message or
|
|
other web resource where the pronouncement about the PEP is made.*
|
|
|
|
For a PEP where final pronouncement will be made on a list other than
|
|
python-dev, a Discussions-To header will indicate the mailing list
|
|
or URL where the pronouncement will occur. A temporary Discussions-To header
|
|
may also be used when a draft PEP is being discussed prior to submission for
|
|
pronouncement. No Discussions-To header is necessary if the PEP is being
|
|
discussed privately with the author, or on the python-list, python-ideas
|
|
or python-dev mailing lists. Note that email addresses in the
|
|
Discussions-To header will not be obscured.
|
|
|
|
The Type header specifies the type of PEP: Standards Track,
|
|
Informational, or Process.
|
|
|
|
The format of a PEP is specified with a Content-Type header. The
|
|
acceptable values are "text/plain" for plaintext PEPs (see PEP 9 [3]_)
|
|
and "text/x-rst" for reStructuredText PEPs (see PEP 12 [4]_).
|
|
reStructuredText is strongly preferred, but for backwards
|
|
compatibility plain text is currently still the default if no
|
|
Content-Type header is present.
|
|
|
|
The Created header records the date that the PEP was assigned a
|
|
number, while Post-History is used to record the dates of when new
|
|
versions of the PEP are posted to python-ideas and/or python-dev. Both
|
|
headers should be in dd-mmm-yyyy format, e.g. 14-Aug-2001.
|
|
|
|
Standards Track PEPs will typically have a Python-Version header which
|
|
indicates the version of Python that the feature will be released with.
|
|
Standards Track PEPs without a Python-Version header indicate
|
|
interoperability standards that will initially be supported through
|
|
external libraries and tools, and then potentially supplemented by a later PEP
|
|
to add support to the standard library. Informational and Process PEPs do
|
|
not need a Python-Version header.
|
|
|
|
PEPs may have a Requires header, indicating the PEP numbers that this
|
|
PEP depends on.
|
|
|
|
PEPs may also have a Superseded-By header indicating that a PEP has
|
|
been rendered obsolete by a later document; the value is the number of
|
|
the PEP that replaces the current document. The newer PEP must have a
|
|
Replaces header containing the number of the PEP that it rendered
|
|
obsolete.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Auxiliary Files
|
|
===============
|
|
|
|
PEPs may include auxiliary files such as diagrams. Such files should be
|
|
named ``pep-XXXX-Y.ext``, where "XXXX" is the PEP number, "Y" is a
|
|
serial number (starting at 1), and "ext" is replaced by the actual
|
|
file extension (e.g. "png").
|
|
|
|
Alternatively, all support files may be placed in a subdirectory called
|
|
``pep-XXXX``, where "XXXX" is the PEP number. When using a subdirectory, there
|
|
are no constraints on the names used in files.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reporting PEP Bugs, or Submitting PEP Updates
|
|
=============================================
|
|
|
|
How you report a bug, or submit a PEP update depends on several
|
|
factors, such as the maturity of the PEP, the preferences of the PEP
|
|
author, and the nature of your comments. For the early draft stages
|
|
of the PEP, it's probably best to send your comments and changes
|
|
directly to the PEP author. For more mature, or finished PEPs you may
|
|
want to submit corrections as a `GitHub issue`_ or `GitHub pull request`_ so that
|
|
your changes don't get lost.
|
|
|
|
When in doubt about where to send your changes, please check first
|
|
with the PEP author and/or a PEP editor.
|
|
|
|
PEP authors with git push privileges for the PEP repository can update the
|
|
PEPs themselves by using "git push" or the GitHub PR interface to submit their
|
|
changes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transferring PEP Ownership
|
|
==========================
|
|
|
|
It occasionally becomes necessary to transfer ownership of PEPs to a
|
|
new champion. In general, it is preferable to retain the original author as
|
|
a co-author of the transferred PEP, but that's really up to the
|
|
original author. A good reason to transfer ownership is because the
|
|
original author no longer has the time or interest in updating it or
|
|
following through with the PEP process, or has fallen off the face of
|
|
the 'net (i.e. is unreachable or not responding to email). A bad
|
|
reason to transfer ownership is because the author doesn't agree with the
|
|
direction of the PEP. One aim of the PEP process is to try to build
|
|
consensus around a PEP, but if that's not possible, an author can always
|
|
submit a competing PEP.
|
|
|
|
If you are interested in assuming ownership of a PEP, you can also do this via
|
|
pull request. Fork the `PEP repository`_, make your ownership modification,
|
|
and submit a pull request. You should mention both the original author and
|
|
``@python/pep-editors`` in a comment on the pull request. (If the original
|
|
author's GitHub username is unknown, use email.) If the original author
|
|
doesn't respond in a timely manner, the PEP editors will make a
|
|
unilateral decision (it's not like such decisions can't be reversed :).
|
|
|
|
|
|
PEP Editor Responsibilities & Workflow
|
|
======================================
|
|
|
|
A PEP editor must be added to the ``@python/pep-editors`` group on GitHub and
|
|
must watch the `PEP repository`_.
|
|
|
|
Note that developers with git push privileges for the `PEP repository`_ may
|
|
handle the tasks that would normally be taken care of by the PEP editors.
|
|
Alternately, even developers may request assistance from PEP editors by
|
|
mentioning ``@python/pep-editors`` on GitHub.
|
|
|
|
For each new PEP that comes in an editor does the following:
|
|
|
|
* Make sure that the PEP is either co-authored by a core developer, has a core
|
|
developer as a sponsor, or has a sponsor specifically approved for this PEP
|
|
by the Steering Council.
|
|
|
|
* Read the PEP to check if it is ready: sound and complete. The ideas
|
|
must make technical sense, even if they don't seem likely to be
|
|
accepted.
|
|
|
|
* The title should accurately describe the content.
|
|
|
|
* The file name extension is correct (i.e. ``.rst``).
|
|
|
|
* Skim the PEP for obvious defects in language (spelling, grammar,
|
|
sentence structure, etc.), and code style (examples should conform to
|
|
PEP 8 & PEP 7). Editors may correct problems themselves, but are
|
|
not required to do so. (Text format is checked by Travis CI.)
|
|
|
|
* If a project is portrayed as benefiting from or supporting the PEP, make sure
|
|
there is some direct indication from the project included to make the support
|
|
clear. This is to avoid a PEP accidentally portraying a project as supporting
|
|
a PEP when in fact the support is based on conjecture.
|
|
|
|
If the PEP isn't ready, an editor will send it back to the author for
|
|
revision, with specific instructions. If reST formatting is a
|
|
problem, ask the author(s) to use PEP 12 as a template and resubmit.
|
|
|
|
Once the PEP is ready for the repository, a PEP editor will:
|
|
|
|
* Assign a PEP number (almost always just the next available number,
|
|
but sometimes it's a special/joke number, like 666 or 3141).
|
|
(Clarification: For Python 3, numbers in the 3000s were used for
|
|
Py3k-specific proposals. But now that all new features go into
|
|
Python 3 only, the process is back to using numbers in the 100s again.
|
|
Remember that numbers below 100 are meta-PEPs.)
|
|
|
|
* Check that the author has correctly labeled the PEP's type
|
|
("Standards Track", "Informational", or "Process"), and marked its
|
|
status as "Draft".
|
|
|
|
* Add the PEP to a local fork of the PEP repository. For workflow
|
|
instructions, follow `The Python Developers Guide <http://docs.python.org/devguide>`_
|
|
|
|
The git repo for the peps is::
|
|
|
|
https://github.com/python/peps
|
|
|
|
* Run ``./genpepindex.py`` and ``./pep2html.py <PEP Number>`` to ensure they
|
|
are generated without errors. If either triggers errors, then the web site
|
|
will not be updated to reflect the PEP changes.
|
|
|
|
* Commit and push the new (or updated) PEP
|
|
|
|
* Monitor python.org to make sure the PEP gets added to the site
|
|
properly. If it fails to appear, running ``make`` will build all of the
|
|
current PEPs. If any of these are triggering errors, they must be
|
|
corrected before any PEP will update on the site.
|
|
|
|
* Send email back to the PEP author with next steps (post to
|
|
python-list & -dev).
|
|
|
|
Updates to existing PEPs should be submitted as a `GitHub pull request`_.
|
|
|
|
Many PEPs are written and maintained by developers with write access
|
|
to the Python codebase. The PEP editors monitor the PEP repository
|
|
for changes, and correct any structure, grammar, spelling, or
|
|
markup mistakes they see.
|
|
|
|
PEP editors don't pass judgment on PEPs. They merely do the
|
|
administrative & editorial part (which is generally a low volume task).
|
|
|
|
Resources:
|
|
|
|
* `Index of Python Enhancement Proposals <http://www.python.org/dev/peps/>`_
|
|
|
|
* `Following Python's Development
|
|
<http://docs.python.org/devguide/communication.html>`_
|
|
|
|
* `Python Developer's Guide <http://docs.python.org/devguide/>`_
|
|
|
|
* `Frequently Asked Questions for Developers
|
|
<http://docs.python.org/devguide/faq.html>`_
|
|
|
|
|
|
References and Footnotes
|
|
========================
|
|
|
|
.. [1] This historical record is available by the normal git commands
|
|
for retrieving older revisions, and can also be browsed via HTTP here:
|
|
https://github.com/python/peps
|
|
|
|
.. [2] PEP 2, Procedure for Adding New Modules
|
|
(http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0002)
|
|
|
|
.. [3] PEP 9, Sample Plaintext PEP Template
|
|
(http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0009)
|
|
|
|
.. [4] PEP 12, Sample reStructuredText PEP Template
|
|
(http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0012)
|
|
|
|
.. [5] PEP 13, Python Language Governance
|
|
(http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0013)
|
|
|
|
.. [6] More details on the PEP rendering and publication process can be found
|
|
in the PEPs repo README at
|
|
https://github.com/python/peps/blob/master/README.rst
|
|
|
|
.. _issue tracker:
|
|
http://bugs.python.org/
|
|
|
|
.. _CC0-1.0-Universal: https://choosealicense.com/licenses/cc0-1.0/
|
|
|
|
.. _reStructuredText: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html
|
|
|
|
.. _Docutils: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/
|
|
|
|
.. _PEP repository: https://github.com/python/peps
|
|
|
|
.. _`GitHub pull request`: https://github.com/python/peps/pulls
|
|
|
|
.. _`GitHub issue`: https://github.com/python/peps/issues
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright
|
|
=========
|
|
|
|
This document is placed in the public domain or under the
|
|
CC0-1.0-Universal license, whichever is more permissive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
..
|
|
Local Variables:
|
|
mode: indented-text
|
|
indent-tabs-mode: nil
|
|
sentence-end-double-space: t
|
|
fill-column: 70
|
|
coding: utf-8
|
|
End:
|