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I agree that it's a good time to learn Python... because it's always a good time to learn Python.

However, be aware that no one in the Python community expects 3.x to be used widely for a few years. Even for new projects, if you want to depend on an existing 3rd party library that hasn't yet been ported, you'll probably have to stick with 2.6.

To accommodate this, they allow you to import almost all of the 3.0 features in 2.6 on a file-by-file basis. So you can pretty much write code in Python 2.6 as if it was 3.0 provided you do the necessary "from __future__ import XXX" at the top of your file to do things like make "print" a function rather than a language keyword, etc. You won't have the reorganized standard library, but for most tasks there's either no difference or minor differences.

So yes, definitely learn Python, but be sure to install both 2.6 and 3.0. I recommend learning with 3.0, but you may have to do "real" projects in 2.6 for some time.




from __future__ import XXX

"I'll borrow features from myself in the future!"

[time passes]

"Hey! That guy from the past just copied all my features!"


So what? He gave you all his money.


Actually, he spent a big chunk of it before I could get it :(


Actually he borrowed a bunch of you money promising to pay it back in the future.


Or better: Actually he borrowed a bunch of your money promising you pay it back.




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