[Info-vax] Python 2 support ends 1-Jan-2020

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/4/2019 1:17 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Dave Froble  <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>> Now, I know nothing of Python.  But the little I "think" I understand,
>>from reading here in c.o.v, is that some people who are working on 
>> Python 3 have a vision that is incompatible with older versions of
>> Python.  Is that a fair assessment?
> 
> Yes,  Python3 is really a completely different language than Python2.

I think that is an exaggeration.

Python 2 and Python 3 are not that different.

The problem is that they made some breaking changes.

Old code may no longer run.

Or worse old code will run but behave differently.

Fortran 77 to 90 was a way bigger language change but I believe
they did try and keep compatibility.

The only similar thing I can think of is K&R C to ANSI C
and stuff like =-.

> And, unlike the change from perl4 to perl5, there is a huge amount of
> existing code in Python2 and a large number of users who are unwilling
> to move.  So currently, Python2 and Python3 are existing in parallel
> and (at least for Unix users) everybody expects to have both.  I expect
> that to continue.

I expect Python 2 live on for years to come.

Arne