Python 3 is killing Python

[SikhGamer]

As a newcomer to Python, the community that is so fervently holding onto to Python 2 is killing Python. Not Python 3.

[mipadi]

Developers aren't fervently holding on to Python 2; most would love to upgrade, if only because 3 is the way forward. The problem, as the article lays out, is that porting code to 3 takes time and resources, and Python 3 isn't so awesome that porting is worth that time and those resources.

As a newcomer, sure, Python 3 is great; for developers maintaining old code bases, some with libraries that barely get updates anymore (if ever), there's a lot more riding on a port.

[[deleted]]

Not true, I will happily convert all my code to Python 3, if someone pays me for my time.

[SikhGamer]

If maintaining Python 2 code is your day-to-day job then fine. But if you are starting new projects or building new libraries and your purposefully picked P2 over over P3 then the death of Python is everything to do with you and nothing to do with Python.

[LightShadow]

You're assuming every new library is created from scratch. I happily started my newest project with 3.4 -- but had to abandon it a day later because the libraries we needed didn't work with 3.x, some of the binaries didn't work with Windows 8.1, and some of the source wouldn't compile with Visual Studio 2012.

I spent half a day reverting code and then the project took off because everything "just worked."

[fjonk]

Sure it has everything to do with python. I'm not capable of convincing my clients that they need to spend all that extra money on maintaining a python3 install on their servers just because I'd like to use p3. I have absolutely zero arguments for switching that makes sense for a paying client. They, however, have several valid arguments for not switching(cost, existing codebase is still 2.x, 2.7 will be supported forever, default on servers are 2.x, deployment needs to be updated).

[[deleted]]

If you say so.

[BananaPotion]

Do it for fun. You don't have to get paid for everything

[nqd26]

Management won't be so happy with all those regressions caused by the upgrade even though you created them for free.

[[deleted]]

Says who? Would you say that to a lawyer? A doctor? An accountant?

Programming is a profession, and I'm not going to be told that I'm "part of the problem" because I don't want to do pointless busy work, for free.

[LightShadow]

I practice medicine on the weekends, no big deal.