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updated python 2 vs 3 (fixes #48) #488

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Oct 12, 2014
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updated python 2 vs 3 (fixes #48) #488

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updated python 2 vs 3 (fixes #48)
flying-sheep Oct 11, 2014
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typo
flying-sheep Oct 11, 2014
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25 changes: 10 additions & 15 deletions docs/starting/which-python.rst
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Expand Up @@ -3,30 +3,25 @@ Picking an Interpreter

.. _which-python:

Today (Python 2)
Today (Python 3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're choosing a Python interpreter to use, I *highly* recommend you use
Python 2.7.x, unless you have a strong reason not to.
If you're choosing a Python interpreter to use, I recommend you use the
newest Python 3.x, since every version brings new and improved standard
library modules, security and bug fixes.

Also use Python 2.7.x if you're starting to work on a new Python module. If you
have managed to get it working on 2.7, you can add support for older 2.x
versions.
Only use Python 3 if you have a strong reason to, such as a Python 2
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You're telling people to use Python 3 when there's no Python 3 ready version of a library for it?

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whoops, fixing!

exclusive library which has no adequate, Python 3 ready alternative. Use
`Can I Use Python 3? <https://caniusepython3.com/>` to check if this is
the case.

The Future (Python 3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Python 2.x is the status quo, Python 3.x is the shiny new thing.
Python 2.x is legacy, Python 3.x is the present and future of the language
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Python 2.7 is being supported for a very long time. It's still the present. There is still active development to improve it's security for a forward looking maintenance schedule.

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  1. this is the quote on the linked page. i think the quote it replaces is an old citation of that page.
  2. legacy means “of, relating to, or being a previous or outdated computer system”, which is an apt description of a still-maintained, yet feature-frozen version of a program.

the present for me is something that is under active development, not maintenance mode. or something that is in maintenance mode and has nothing carrying its torch. (e.g. something that is considered feature-complete, like thunderbird.) python 2 has python 3 as torch-carrier, which has the features of the older versions and more, and is actively developed while being mature and stable. it is the present and the future. python 2 is the past and legacy.


`Further Reading <http://wiki.python.org/moin/Python2orPython3>`_

The difference between Python 3 and Python 2 is much greater, therefore
writing code that works in both Python 2 and Python 3 is a very complicated
process.

It is possible to `write code that works on Python 2.6, 2.7 and 3.3
<http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2013/5/21/porting-to-python-3-redux/>`_. This
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This is still true

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i think this paragraph is redundant, as the following one pretty much says the same.

also usually “writing code that works in both Python 2 and Python 3 is not a very complicated process.” it’s actually pretty trivial for most small libraries or programs. just import everything from __future__ and create some wrappers around APIs that use bytes on python 2 and strs on python 3, and you’re set. i think the following paragraph serves to explain that.

ranges from tricky to extremely hard depending upon the kind of software
ranges from trivial to hard depending upon the kind of software
you are writing; if you're a beginner there are far more important things to
worry about.

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