Hacker News Reader

Comment by jcadam | Hacker News Reader

I'd love to use Python 3. Alas, I work in the defense industry and am working on a new development project in Python 2.6. Why? Because that's the version that's already installed on the client's systems, and getting anything new installed is such a nightmare of Vogon-esque policies and procedures that I've learned not to even ask.

I'm constantly having to hack around bugs in ancient versions of libraries that have been fixed years ago for the same reason.

I have a feeling the slow adoption rate of python 3 is not due to developers "rejecting" it.

View on HN

If that's because you work on Redhat, see if at least the epel repository is available to you. No idea if or when it'll have Python 3.5 but it's usually ahead of the base repo.

for folks using RHEL/CentOS >= 6.5 then https://www.softwarecollections.org/en might be the way to go, once 3.5 is available there.

Yeah, maybe RHEL 8 will have it, maybe as early at 2017. Maybe. :)

I went to 3.3 a while ago but reverted back to 2.7 because out of the 10 or so crucial libraries I needed, one was still on 2.7. Bloomberg. (http://www.bloomberglabs.com/api/libraries/). That's what the people who talk about high percentages of libraries already ported to 3, miss. All you need is a single one not to be ported and the future stays on hold.

I have taken to using the 3 syntax in 2.7 so that I am prepared, but until this particular library moves, I cannot.

The GitHub repo suggests there's been Python 3 support for a while: https://github.com/filmackay/blpapi-py

I've run into my fair share of Python 3 roadblocks, but you'd be surprised how far you can get by making a little noise and sending the occasional patch. Library authors are much more willing to prioritize Python 3 support if it looks like people actually need it :)

I will try to compile this today - appreciate that thank you. I understand that Ubuntu is making Python 3 the default from 16.04 onwards so I need to get moving. Looks like the long dusk for 2.x is finally turning to night.

The official library supports 3.x, and the downloads are on the link you put in your original comment.

If you're already working around bugs you could create your own venv with a later version. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

Not in the defence industry.

I work in the defense industry. Sometimes it is indeed easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, but you must be very careful. Obviously anything that violates any NDAs or security agreements is not to be pushed at all, but I've had no problems writing and running Python and MATLAB programs.

Point is, defense industry doesn't automatically equal a locked down environment.

I'll chime in here and say that quite a few people in aerospace/defense (at least where I work) prefer Python to some of the more traditionally used tools.

I've written a number of scripts for data analysis and simulation in Python that are much more portable for us since we don't need to get a license to run MATLAB on computers out in the field.

I just now (days later) read your profile.

If you're in the EE department...I had your exact same job a year ago. And your main Python users are down the hall in ACS. Those guys are great. Maybe EE has started to change some...since they lost pretty much half the department. For your sake, I hope so.

Some industries will be stuck with old versions of just about any language, no matter what. GP actually said he's stuck on 2.6, which means he can't even use 2.7.

I work in defense. Software approval is for major releases, so he I don't see why he couldn't use 2.7. If he wants to go to 3, that's when he'd have to get approval.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com