On Wed, Apr 6, 2022 at 3:06 PM Aaron Meurer <asmeu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Was the faster CPython release cadence (PEP 602 > https://peps.python.org/pep-0602/) ever discussed in relation to NEP > 29 (https://numpy.org/neps/nep-0029-deprecation_policy.html)? > > NEP 29 currently says: > > "The current Python release cadence is 18 months so a 42 month window > ensures that there will always be at least two minor versions of > Python in the window." > > However, as of PEP 602, the release cadence of CPython is now 12 > months, not 18 months. This schedule now means supporting 3-4 versions > of Python at once, rather than 2-3 versions (for those who don't want > to do the math, 48/18 is 2.3 and 48/12 is 3.5). > > PEP 602 started with Python 3.8, which was released in October, 2019. > Python 3.8 is currently the oldest version supported in NEP 29, so we > are about to enter the full cycle of the new cadence. In particular, > when Python 3.11 is released in October of this year, the NEP 29 > prescription will imply supporting 4 Python versions: 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, > and 3.11, up until April, 2023 when 3.8 support would be dropped (and > continuing like this: 3 versions between April and October; 4 versions > between October and April). > > Furthermore, the NEP seems to imply that the exact CPython release > schedule is not known: "The window is extended 6 months beyond the > anticipated two-release interval for Python to provide resilience > against small fluctuations / delays in its release schedule." I'm not > sure how true this was before, but PEP 602 pretty clearly prescribes a > Python release in October of every year. Delays presumably might still > be possible, but I don't see why it's necessary to build that > possibility into the default period in the NEP given that it should be > an unusual situation. > > Personally I would prefer not ever supporting 4 simultaneous Python > versions (I rather wish Python hadn't increased their cadence, but > that ship has sailed). I don't know if it's possible to update the NEP > to adjust for the new cadence. Even if it isn't, the text is clearly > out of date and should be updated. > My current plan is to support 4 Python versions in the 1.24 NumPy release cycle, then drop Python 3.8 in NumPy 1.25. The result going forward is that we will oscillate between supporting 3 and 4 Python versions, each version being supported for about 42 months. > I wasn't on this list back in 2019, so my apologies if this has > already been discussed. > Chuck
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