Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.001 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'python,': 0.02; 'deprecated': 0.09; 'function,': 0.09; 'name?': 0.09; 'subject:module': 0.09; 'subject:skip:f 10': 0.09; 'whichever': 0.09; 'received:localhost.localdomain': 0.10; 'received:localdomain': 0.11; 'python': 0.11; 'changes': 0.15; 'bump': 0.16; 'subject:API': 0.16; 'to:name:python list': 0.16; 'subject:python': 0.16; 'thanks,': 0.17; 'library': 0.18; 'module': 0.19; 'trying': 0.19; 'import': 0.22; 'header:User- Agent:1': 0.23; 'library,': 0.24; 'versions': 0.24; 'developers': 0.25; 'compiled': 0.26; 'equivalent': 0.26; 'installed': 0.27; 'function': 0.29; 'chris': 0.29; "i'm": 0.30; 'figure': 0.32; 'supposed': 0.32; 'subject:with': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'version': 0.36; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'hi,': 0.36; 'application': 0.37; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'guidance': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'new': 0.61; 'skip:n 10': 0.64; 'linked': 0.65; 'world': 0.66; 'incorporate': 0.68; 'application?': 0.84; 'blowing': 0.84 Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 18:02:30 -0600 From: Chris Friesen User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python list Subject: how to deal with deprecating API functionality in python module? Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Originating-IP: [147.11.119.163] X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 29 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1385006861 news.xs4all.nl 15900 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:34045 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:60153 Hi, I'm pretty new to python, I'm trying to figure out how a python module is supposed to make non-backwards-compatible changes without blowing up the applications that use it. In the C world this is straightforward, an application is linked against version X of the library, and if the library developers make a non-compatible change (remove a deprecated function, or change a function signature) they bump the version to X+1. Then versions X and X+1 can both be installed on the system at the same time and applications will link against whichever one they were compiled against. How would something like this work in a python application? I don't see any way to do the equivalent of import foo version X Is the only way to incorporate the version in the name? Like: import fooX Any guidance would be appreciated... Thanks, Chris