[Biopython-dev] What would we gain by dropping python 2.3?

[Bruce Southey]

Peter wrote:
> I was wondering what benefits we would see by dropping support for
> Python 2.3 after the next release (or next couple of releases?).
>   
Support for Numpy 1.2 as I suspect that most people would have (or 
should have) upgraded to 2.4 for bug and performance gains. I
have not looked at the major Linux distros like Fedora and Ubuntu to 
know when these dropped Python 2.3 for the standard Python install.

But I also must add that there is no numpy Windows binary installation 
for Python 2.6 and does not seem likely to be an official one in the 
near future (technical issues with regards to the official Windows 
binary for Python 2.6).

> Note that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger uses Python 2.3.5, so there could still
> be a fair number of people out there still interested in using
> Biopython on Python 2.3 (in addition to my own current Windows
> development machine).  Before making any plans to drop Python 2.3
> support we should canvas the main mailing list.
>   
Also some of the older Red Hat / Centos systems still run it - joys of 
these long-term releases.

How many bug reports are with Python 2.3 from people with an interest in 
Python 2.3 not just testing it?



To me the issue is about supporting different versions in the medium 
term (5 years) given that NumPy and Biopython will have been rewritten 
for Python 3.0 and most people will be using Python 3.0. I think that if 
the burden is too great to support a Python version it should be 
officially dropped. Of course any criteria bug or feature can be 
backported to earlier versions if requested.

I would recommend that this starts a new minor version i.e 1.5 so it is 
clear that Biopython 1.5+ is Python 2.4+ only. (I also note the recent 
changes in the cvs that would justify this anyhow.)

Bruce