On Thu, Apr 7, 2022 at 5:42 PM Charles R Harris <charlesr.har...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 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 out of date and should be updated.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. >> > To add to what Chuck said: this was indeed discussed during the NEP 29 discussion. The Python release cycle changing was a reason for having a time-based rather than a version-based approach. And Chuck's current plan is what was intended. Cheers, Ralf
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