Subject: [bug#68416] [PATCH] python: add 3.20 - 3.16 to the version search list

From: Karl Berry <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:47:06 -0700

Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but I don't see an advantage to merely
dynamically synthesizing the static list of versions. If anything, I
think statically listing everything in text is clearer and less
error-prone.

What would be an improvement is to not to have this list of versions at
all. I guess we could consider each element of PATH in turn, looking for
executables named python\d\.?\d+ (something like that), but it seems
fragile not to use AC_PATH_PROGS. Dealing with .exe, sorting the
resulting possible set of names correctly ("by reverse version"), and
other niggling details.

So I guess in the end my inclination is to leave bad enough alone. Might
as well close this.

Thanks to everyone for the input.
Karl

P.S. As for Python 4: no, I was not being facetious about Python's
demonstrated lack of interest in compatibility. It doesn't seem like it
would hurt anything much to add python4 and python4.0, but I'm content
to never mind that, and await developments.