[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Cameron Laird wrote: >> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, >> Terry Reedy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> "Anthony Irwin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message >>> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> . >> . >> . >>> | #5 someone said that they used to use python but stopped because the >>> | language changed or made stuff depreciated (I can fully remember >>> | which) and old code stopped working. Is code written today likely to >>> | still work in 5+ years or do they depreciate stuff and you have to >>> update? >>> >>> Most versions of Python are still available. You are free to use and >>> distribute your copies indefinitely. Several older versions are still in >>> use. >>> >>> Recent releases have added features but removed very little except bugs. >>> Unfortunately, bug removal sometimes breaks code. And feature additions >>> occasionally introduce bugs or otherwise break code, but that is why there >>> are alpha, beta, and candidate releases before a final release. >>> >>> Python3 will remove many things at once. A conversion tool is being >>> written. And there is no expectation that production code should be >>> immediately converted, if ever. >> . >> . >> . >> I'll answer even more aggressively: Python's record of >> backward compatibility is *better* than Java's. > > Although I objected earlier to the statement that Python has never had > a release breaking backward compatibility, I agree 100% with this--the > times that Python has broken backward compatibility have been preceded > by several releases of deprecation warnings. Java on several > occasions has simply broken working code in a new release with no > warning. I wouldn't be shocked if Python has done the same, but I've > never run into it in my code. > Ask the Twisted guys - they mentioned when 2.5 was released that several of their unit tests broke.
Just the same, I do think Python's compatibility record is good. regards Steve -- Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119 Holden Web LLC/Ltd http://www.holdenweb.com Skype: holdenweb http://del.icio.us/steve.holden ------------------ Asciimercial --------------------- Get on the web: Blog, lens and tag your way to fame!! holdenweb.blogspot.com squidoo.com/pythonology tagged items: del.icio.us/steve.holden/python All these services currently offer free registration! -------------- Thank You for Reading ---------------- -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
