Python 3.4 versus 2.7

[maxand]

I'm planning to put some time into learning Python and notice FO uses v2.7, whereas the latest stable version is 3.4.

Should I start writing scripts in 3.4 then modify them where necessary so they will run in 2.7, or should I keep two separate IDEs, one for each version? I haven't studied all the differences between the two versions, and wonder why all the scripts used in FO haven't been updated to 3.4 by now. Is this really as big an issue as it appears to me?

I'd prefer to learn using just one version (preferably the latest) and stick with it. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Geoff the Medio]

...why all the scripts used in FO haven't been updated to 3.4...

Because:
-Boost.Python previously didn't support Python 3 (even if it does now), so Python 2 was used for FreeOrion
-FreeOrion Scripting works fine with Python 2.7 and there's no pressing need to update that I'm aware of
-Python 2 is (I vaguely gather) more widely supported / available by default than Python 3
-Updating would be a bunch of (unnecessary) work to repackage everything in the SDKs and (probably) rewrite scripts
-There are / were problems with Python running within FreeOrion already, and I don't want to mess with it more than necessary

[Vezzra]

That pretty much sums it up...

[Cjkjvfnby]

I'm planning to put some time into learning Python and notice FO uses v2.7, whereas the latest stable version is 3.4.

Should I start writing scripts in 3.4 then modify them where necessary so they will run in 2.7, or should I keep two separate IDEs, one for each version? I haven't studied all the differences between the two versions, and wonder why all the scripts used in FO haven't been updated to 3.4 by now. Is this really as big an issue as it appears to me?

I'd prefer to learn using just one version (preferably the latest) and stick with it. Thanks for your suggestions.

There is not big difference between coding with 2.7 and 3.4 (2.7 has a lot of backported features from 3). 3.4 has a lot of cool features but most of them can be implemented in 2.7. If you write 2.7 code in clear and simple way it can be easily ported to python3.

PS. Best IDE for python PyCharm.
PS. Make quick look at checkio.org there is possible to see solutions of other peoples, it helps a lot.

[Dilvish]

If you write 2.7 code in clear and simple way it can be easily ported to python3.

This is the focus I think we should have for now, 2.7 code that will be easily portable to 3.

For Linux reference points: the Debian stance is apparently to ship both 2.7 and the latest stable 3 for the foreseeable future (with 2.7 the current default). Ubuntu (derived from Debian) is apparently being used to spearhead a transition to python 3

Move Python 2 to universe, port all Python applications in main to Python 3. We will never fully get rid of Python 2.7, but...All Ubuntu/Canonical driven development should be targeting Python 3 right now, and all new code should be Python 3-only.

Also note:

What this does not mean:
/usr/bin/python will point to Python 3. No, this is not going to happen (unless PEP 394 advocates otherwise, which is doubtful for the foreseeable future). /usr/bin/python and /usr/bin/python2 will point to Python 2.7 and /usr/bin/python3 will point to the latest supported Python 3 version.
Python 2 will be removed from the archive. No, this is not going to happen. We expect Python 2.7 to remain supported and available in Ubuntu for quite a long time

The Windows/ Mac OSX plans are less clear to me, but appear to be similar.

[MatGB]

Windows doesn't come with Python, for quite a long time I DLd this game every so often to see the progress saying "this'll be an awesome game when there's an AI that does something", and then someone noticed and put a version of python in the windows install files...

So yeah, I suspect the default will be there are no plans to support by default, because, well, Windows. No clue about Mac. It makes sense to me to stick with whatever Ubuntu are recommending as the default, because that's the only Linux version that hasn't made me want to give up and wipe the harddrive immediately...