[BioPython] Python 3

[Chris Fields]

This is similar to what the bioperl devs think will eventually happen  
with bioperl and perl 6 (which, like python 3.0, is pretty much a new  
language).  Not much one can do about it, but it does give u the  
opportunity to rethink implementations.  In the meantime, bioperl/ 
perl5 will be around for a while.

chris

On Apr 8, 2008, at 12:29 PM, Iddo Friedberg wrote:

> Python 3.x is almost a new language. Thus I expect that if there  
> will be a
> Biopython 3.x, it will be developed from the ground up, by  
> enterprising
> souls woho would like to see that happen. But Python 2.x will still be
> around for a while.
>
> The powers-that-be in Python are trying to make the whole process of  
> 3.0
> porting as gentle as possible. Thus Python 2.x is not going away  
> anytime
> soon and 2.x versions will be around for a while. Also, 2.6 will be  
> in a
> sense forward compatible.
>
>> From the horse's mouth:
> "
>
> Python 2.6 will support forward compatibility in the following two  
> ways:
>
>   - It will support a "Py3k warnings mode" which will warn dynamically
>   (i.e. at runtime) about features that will stop working in Python  
> 3.0, e.g.
>   assuming that range() returns a list.
>   - It will contain backported versions of many Py3k features, either
>   enabled through __future__ statements or simply by allowing old  
> and new
>   syntax to be used side-by-side (if the new syntax would be a  
> syntax error in
>   2.x).
>
> "
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Peter <biopython at maubp.freeserve.co.uk 
> >
> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 5:36 PM, Tim <timmcilveen at talktalk.net> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> I have been learning python and biopython side by side for a while  
>>> now
>> but
>>> notice that the release of python 3 is now approaching with many new
>>> features. Will biopython in its current form be easy to port to  
>>> python
>> 3, or
>>> is this going to be a major project ?
>>
>> The short answer is I don't know, and as far as I know, no one has  
>> tried
>> yet.
>>
>> As Sebastian points out, Biopython does depend on several third party
>> modules for some of its functionality - and they too would have to be
>> ported to Python 3.
>>
>> Peter
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>>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
> Iddo Friedberg, Ph.D.
> CALIT2, mail code 0440
> University of California, San Diego
> 9500 Gilman Drive
> La Jolla, CA 92093-0440, USA
> T: +1 (858) 534-0570
> T: +1 (858) 646-3100 x3516
> http://iddo-friedberg.org
> _______________________________________________
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> http://lists.open-bio.org/mailman/listinfo/biopython

Christopher Fields
Postdoctoral Researcher
Lab of Dr. Robert Switzer
Dept of Biochemistry
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign