On Tue, 14 Jul 2026 at 10:44, Nyall Dawson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hi lists,
>
> Following up the recent formalisation of a process for removal of deprecated 
> API mid-release cycle (see 
> https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Enhancement-Proposals/pull/384), I've just 
> submitted a proposal to remove the deprecated Python Processing 
> "WidgetWrapper" API.
>
> As per clause 1.4.4 of the Stable API policy, this API should be removed on 
> the grounds that maintaining backward compatibility both introduces an 
> insurmountable maintenance burden and fundamentally blocks critical bug fixes 
> (condition 1.4.4.1).
>
> This pure Python API is an ongoing source of unsolvable issues in the 
> Processing framework, such as https://github.com/qgis/QGIS/issues/66282. It 
> relies on a fragile memory management model, where the lifetime of objects 
> created in C++ vs Python results in unpredictable object deletion or memory 
> leakage. Over time the conclusion from QGIS developers familiar with this 
> code is that this approach just cannot be fixed, and we need to move solely 
> to the approach used elsewhere in QGIS, where Python is used solely to 
> subclass C++ base classes, with all memory management living at the C++ level 
> (either through direct C++ memory management or via C++ Qt parent/child 
> associations).
>
> In addition, the old API predated major overhauls of Processing GUI 
> components such as the model designer, and the assumptions used in that API 
> no longer apply (such as existence of Python dialog classes). Working around 
> these old assumptions is a considerable drain on QGIS developers, and is 
> blocking further desirable revamps and modernisation of the QGIS model 
> designer interface.
>
> This API has been marked as deprecated since QGIS 3.4, with developer-facing 
> warnings being shown for over 7 years.
>
> See https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Enhancement-Proposals/pull/386 for the 
> proposed changes and a detailed write up on the plan for removal.
>
> Please give all feedback on this proposed change as comments on the PR itself 
> (not direct email replies) to keep the discussion centralized.

This has now passed the two week discussion period and has moved to
the voting stage.

Kind regards,
Nyall
_______________________________________________
QGIS-Developer mailing list
[email protected]
List info: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
Unsubscribe: https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer

Reply via email to