The way forward is to use Python 3. That's been the way forward since it was announced that 2.7 would be the last version, and that everything after it would just be bugfixes. The way forward became even more clearly defined when the date was set for even those to stop.
I learned Python from Python 3, and it hasn't hindered me at all, even from going back and working on Python 2 code bases, or cross compatible code bases. It's a perspective that's made me just how aware of how awful Python 2 is in comparison.
Python 2 is going to exist for a long time in a lot of places. But it's a dead end for improvements. It's a dead end for innovation. It's a dead end for bug fixes and security fixes. Would you even consider telling someone to go learn any other language that is 3 years away from even end of life support having the plug pulled? You wouldn't. Why would you do the same for Python 2?
> Python 2 is going to exist for a long time in a lot of places. But it's a dead end for improvements. It's a dead end for innovation. It's a dead end for bug fixes and security fixes.
One the one hand I have this from you, an anon as far as I'm concerned. On the other I have Google, filled with some of the world's best python developers (and until recently the BDFL Guido van Rossum himself). Google App Engine still doesn't support Python 3.
You're both half-right: the "standard" App Engine environment is "Python 2.7 only", via the link you just gave. The newer, flexible env (with less bullt-ins) does 3.x too.
Right, because Google likely has a tremendous codebase which would prove difficult and costly to port. If they were making a decision today and had no existing python systems, do you think they'd choose the version that's going to be EOL in less than three years?
I've been listening to Python podcasts recently and this is certainly the impression I'm getting. Plus, there are always backports for those who cling to 2.7.
I learned Python from Python 3, and it hasn't hindered me at all, even from going back and working on Python 2 code bases, or cross compatible code bases. It's a perspective that's made me just how aware of how awful Python 2 is in comparison.
Python 2 is going to exist for a long time in a lot of places. But it's a dead end for improvements. It's a dead end for innovation. It's a dead end for bug fixes and security fixes. Would you even consider telling someone to go learn any other language that is 3 years away from even end of life support having the plug pulled? You wouldn't. Why would you do the same for Python 2?