Python 2 / 3.4 end of support timeline

[rth]

Just wondering if there are any plans for dropping Python 2.7 (and 3.4) in the near future?

• 3.4 reached EOL on 2019-03-16
• and 2.7 will soon as you know, while sphinx dropped support for Python 2 since v2.0 on Mar 28, 2019.

Planning to look into #196 and although it might not be a blocker, not having to think about pre 3.5 type annotations would probably be easier.

[rth]

Dropping support for Python 2 might also solve some existing issues e.g. #221 (comment) , #163

[larsoner]

I'm fine with dropping 2.7 and 3.4 support now

[jnothman]

+1

[hugovk]

NumPy, Matplotlib, scikit-learn, IPython, Jupyter, yt, SciPy, and scikit-image have proposed:

• "NEP 29 — Recommend Python and Numpy version support as a community policy standard"

Where:

This NEP recommends that all projects across the Scientific Python ecosystem adopt a common “time window-based” policy for support of Python and NumPy versions. Standardizing a recommendation for project support of minimum Python and NumPy versions will improve downstream project planning.

For example, they suggest:

This project supports:

• All minor versions of Python released 42 months prior to the project, and at minimum the two latest minor versions.
• All minor versions of numpy released in the 24 months prior to the project, and at minimum the last thee minor versions.

And:

On next release, drop support for Python 3.5 (initially released on Sep 13, 2015)

It looks set to be accepted soon.

[hugovk]

And NumPy's WIP PR to drop 3.5: numpy/numpy#14673.