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Python 1.0 is great because back then you don't need to worry about the Python2/3 issue. :)

davesque 9y ago
Is it still an issue really? :/ Have been using Python 3 exclusively in production since about a year ago and it really seems like the whole 2/3 thing is starting to blow over. I haven't found any packages I need that aren't 3 compatible and porting to 3 was really way easier than people had made it out to be.
- IshKebab 9y ago
  Yes. Very much still an issue. There's mountains of Python 2 code still out there and loads of software starts with Python 2 and then maybe adds Python 3 support later. Hopefully. For example [issue #1](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/issues/1 https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/issues/1) for Tensorflow - one of the most popular Python packages out there is "add Python 3 support". It's one of the biggest reasons not to use Python IMO. No other popular language has this issue. The other reasons I wouldn't use Python: 1. Difficult to distribute standalone programs. You end up having to bundle an interpreter which is a pain. 2. So many programs include python interpreters you end up with insane path issues, especially on windows. 3. It's still slow.
  - fake-name 9y ago
    You failed to mention that the linked issue was closed with py3k support released. In 2015. Py2/3 is not an issue in practice.
  - davesque 9y ago
    > It's one of the biggest reasons not to use Python IMO. No other popular language has this issue. No other popular language struggles with issues of backwards incompatibility? That's a huge exaggeration. > Difficult to distribute standalone programs. You end up having to bundle an interpreter which is a pain. I guess then you generally prefer not to use interpreted languages? > So many programs include python interpreters you end up with insane path issues... How is that? There's usually a system Python which system programs should reference explicitly if they care. If you code up a Python program without being careful about its dependencies, then yeah you're asking for trouble. But that's true of any program, whether it needs to locate an interpreter or be compiled against a shared library. None of the pain points you mention are inherently specific to Python. But maybe Python's huge success and ubiquity trick people into conflating general software development issues with Python issues; rather like how people start confusing popular brand names with actual products (e.g. Band-Aids).
    - IshKebab 9y ago
      > No other popular language struggles with issues of backwards incompatibility? That's a huge exaggeration. Pretty much true. As far as I know C, C++, Java, C#, Javascript, etc. have never broken backwards compatibility. At least not in a serious way (like changing how `print` works). > There's usually a system Python which system programs should reference explicitly if they care. Not on Windows.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  Cocos2d-x one of the most popular 2D engines, still uses Python 2.0 on their build scripts.

Is it still an issue really? :/ Have been using Python 3 exclusively in production since about a year ago and it really seems like the whole 2/3 thing is starting to blow over. I haven't found any packages I need that aren't 3 compatible and porting to 3 was really way easier than people had made it out to be.

IshKebab 9y ago
Yes. Very much still an issue. There's mountains of Python 2 code still out there and loads of software starts with Python 2 and then maybe adds Python 3 support later. Hopefully. For example [issue #1](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/issues/1 https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/issues/1) for Tensorflow - one of the most popular Python packages out there is "add Python 3 support". It's one of the biggest reasons not to use Python IMO. No other popular language has this issue. The other reasons I wouldn't use Python: 1. Difficult to distribute standalone programs. You end up having to bundle an interpreter which is a pain. 2. So many programs include python interpreters you end up with insane path issues, especially on windows. 3. It's still slow.
- fake-name 9y ago
  You failed to mention that the linked issue was closed with py3k support released. In 2015. Py2/3 is not an issue in practice.
- davesque 9y ago
  > It's one of the biggest reasons not to use Python IMO. No other popular language has this issue. No other popular language struggles with issues of backwards incompatibility? That's a huge exaggeration. > Difficult to distribute standalone programs. You end up having to bundle an interpreter which is a pain. I guess then you generally prefer not to use interpreted languages? > So many programs include python interpreters you end up with insane path issues... How is that? There's usually a system Python which system programs should reference explicitly if they care. If you code up a Python program without being careful about its dependencies, then yeah you're asking for trouble. But that's true of any program, whether it needs to locate an interpreter or be compiled against a shared library. None of the pain points you mention are inherently specific to Python. But maybe Python's huge success and ubiquity trick people into conflating general software development issues with Python issues; rather like how people start confusing popular brand names with actual products (e.g. Band-Aids).
  - IshKebab 9y ago
    > No other popular language struggles with issues of backwards incompatibility? That's a huge exaggeration. Pretty much true. As far as I know C, C++, Java, C#, Javascript, etc. have never broken backwards compatibility. At least not in a serious way (like changing how `print` works). > There's usually a system Python which system programs should reference explicitly if they care. Not on Windows.
pjmlp 9y ago
Cocos2d-x one of the most popular 2D engines, still uses Python 2.0 on their build scripts.