Guido on Python 2 vs. Python 3

By Vasudev Ram

Guido van Rossum, our BDFL, just gave a presentation on Python 2 vs. Python 3.

Here it is:

Python 2 vs. Python 3 - A retrospective

I scanned most of it. Some excerpts that I personally found interesting:

- Too many ways to do it :-)
- e.g. old- and new-style classes

- People don't like change
-People positively hate incompatible changes
- So we did it anyway

- Drop "raise E, value" —> raise E(value)

- Drop backticks: `x` -> repr(x)

- No default ordering: 1 < 'x' raises TypeError
(I did think this was an issue when I came across it)

- Why reduce() must die

- Vasudev Ram - Python consulting and training

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Python creator and BDFL Guido van Rossum leaving Google for Dropbox

Dropbox Tech Blog » Blog Archive » Welcome Guido!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevolent_Dictator_for_Life

Interestingly, it's hardly an hour since he announced the news on Twitter, and it is already mentioned on his Wikipedia page:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_van_Rossum

Wow. Quite a surprise. But see Black Swan.

My initial reaction: First and most important thing, of course, is that Dropbox should let him keep on spending a good amount of time working on Python, as he did at Google.

Python is more important than any one company, considering its impact and usage worldwide. He's the BDFL for solid reasons.

I had blogged or tweeted some time ago that Dropbox uses Python a lot, to write its app clients on different OS's.

- Vasudev Ram
www.dancingbison.com