44Changing Python
55===============
66
7- On occasion people come up with an idea for changing or improving Python.
8- This page explains how to propose changes and what to expect during the
9- process.
7+ On occasion people come up with an idea for changing or improving Python. This
8+ page explains how to propose changes and what to expect during the process.
109
1110
1211Considerations
1312--------------
1413
15- First, understand that changes to Python
16- are difficult to make. When the language changes,
17- **every ** Python programmer and all Python programmers to
14+ First, understand that changes to Python are difficult to make. When the
15+ language changes, **every ** Python programmer and all Python programmers to
1816come will end up eventually learning about the change you want to propose.
1917Books will need updating, code will be changed, and a new way to do things will
20- need to be learned. Changes to Python are never taken
21- lightly.
18+ need to be learned. Changes to Python are never taken lightly.
2219
2320Backward compatibility is a significant concern. Existing Python code has to
2421continue to work. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are very rare
@@ -29,8 +26,9 @@ Because of the seriousness of changing the language, any change must be
2926beneficial to many Python users. If the change only helps a small percentage of
3027Python developers then the change will not be made. A good way to see if your
3128idea would work for a large portion of the Python community is to discuss it in
32- the `Ideas category in Discourse <ideas _>`_. You can also look in Python's standard
33- library to find examples of code which would benefit from your proposed change.
29+ the `Ideas category in Discourse <ideas _>`_. You can also look in Python's
30+ standard library to find examples of code which would benefit from your
31+ proposed change.
3432
3533.. important ::
3634 For all of these reasons, most proposed changes to Python are rejected. This
@@ -58,9 +56,9 @@ Proposing a change involves the following steps:
5856Describe your idea
5957^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
6058
61- The `Ideas category in Discourse <ideas _>`_ is specifically intended for discussion
62- of new features and language changes. Make your proposal as a `new topic
63- <ideas_> `_ there.
59+ The `Ideas category in Discourse <ideas _>`_ is specifically intended for
60+ discussion of new features and language changes. Make your proposal as a `new
61+ topic <ideas_> `_ there.
6462
6563Your proposal needs to be **detailed **. Describe the change you want to make,
6664why you want to make it, and what benefits it will bring to Python users. Be
@@ -112,9 +110,9 @@ part of the process. Other people's perspectives will help explore the full
112110impact of the idea and find strengths or weaknesses you may not have
113111considered.
114112
115- You will almost always get at least some push-back. Don't be disappointed, and don't take it personally.
116- As the long list of :pep: `Withdrawn and Rejected PEPs
117- <0#rejected-superseded-and-withdrawn-peps >` in the :pep: `PEP Index <0 >`
113+ You will almost always get at least some push-back. Don't be disappointed, and
114+ don't take it personally. As the long list of :pep: `Withdrawn and Rejected
115+ PEPs <0#rejected-superseded-and-withdrawn-peps >` in the :pep: `PEP Index <0 >`
118116attests, and as befits a mature programming language, getting significant
119117changes into Python isn't a simple task.
120118
0 commit comments