Pydev & Python 3.0

One thing that should be added in the next release is support for Python 3.0 (aka Python 3k)

So, to cover that, I've started at the most basic part: being able to configure an interpreter with Python 3.0. And you guessed it: print does not work anymore, so, when I started checking how can support be added for Python 3.0 while still retaining compatibility with other versions (as most existent python library probably will have to do), something weird struck me: print is now something banned in the python world...

Not only won't I be able to use the print statement (because it's not available on Python 3.0), but I also won't be able to use the print function (because it's not available in older versions of Python), so, when considering the 2to3 tool, actually, what should be available is a 2toAny, where print is removed altogether in what's probably going to be the actual standard for python: instead of print 'x', the thing to have backward compatibility is writing: sys.stdout.write('x\n') -- which I think is really something sad -- probably a step backwards for python, where printing something used to be sane... unlike java things such as System.out.println()... But now not only it's very similar -- it also gets worse: you have to add the new line yourself.

So, in the 2toAny, what should be done is transforming print varA into sys.stdout.write('%s\n' % (varA,)) and print >> log, varA into log.write('%s\n', (varA,))-- much more pythonic right?!?

Well, aside from that, I wanted to say that besides that particular change, most other things seem to be consistent in taking the language forward... but that one seems just gratuitous breakage of most python code existent (it's not like print is used seldonly in the python world or anyone did actually dislike it).

I'm sorry about the tone of this post, but I must say I'm a bit disapointed with that particular change in Python at this stage... Am I missing something here? Is there another way to really have actual compatibility? -- Maybe defining my own print_ function and using it everywhere? Why did Python "fix" something that not only worked, but that everyone was happy about? (or wasn't?)

How about a python 2toAny tool, does someone know if such a thing exists? It's probably much more important than a 2to3 (as almost all libraries will need to keep supporting old versions and probably only few projects will actually migrate to 3.0 -- at least initially and until the libraries they use are able to support it).