Why Python chose Mercurial (opens in new tab)

(python.org)

28 pointsgilaniali15y ago12 comments

12 comments

11 comments · 3 top-level

oomkiller15y ago· 6 in thread

I think they mainly chose it because it's what the community wanted. Git is very popular with Rubyists, and Pythonistas like to be a bit different than Rubyists. Instead, they chose hg, which is essentially git, with different names for things. Hg is a perfect fit for Python, as thats about how different Python is from Ruby or vice-versa ;)

gilanialiOP15y ago

They do mention: "We are pragmatic enough to not choose a tool simply because it is written in Python, but we do see the usefulness in promoting tools that do use it when it is reasonable to do so as it is in this case."

josephcooney15y ago

Or could it just be that mercurial is written in python?

oomkiller15y ago

Well I did read the article, so I know that was part of it, I just think how the community feels mattered the most.

VBprogrammer15y ago

I don't use Mercurial, but didn't they replace the last of the Python code quite recently?

1 more reply

jacobolus15y ago

Git was created for Linux kernel development. How in the world does Ruby have anything to do with anything?

JustinSeriously15y ago

I think the logic is this: Github is popular. Ruby is the most popular language on Github. Therefore Ruby and Git are connected.

mixu15y ago· 2 in thread

The summary: "First, git's Windows support is the weakest out of the three DVCSs being considered which is unacceptable as Python needs to support development on any platform it runs on. Since Python runs on Windows and some people do develop on the platform it needs solid support. And while git's support is improving, as of this moment it is the weakest by a large enough margin to warrant considering it a problem.

Second, and just as important as the first issue, is that the Python core developers liked git the least out of the three DVCS options by a wide margin."

I'm using Mercurial for the same reason - Windows support without complex dependencies.

tjsimmons15y ago

My first ever DVCS was Mercurial, using it on both Windows and Mac. I recently (last two months or so) switched to git, to try it, and due to what seemed to me overwhelming use for the projects I saw across the web.

But, git felt weird. I don't know how to explain it other than that, but reading Python's decision to go with Mercurial just seemed to reinforce that to me. So I've switched back.

jncraton15y ago

Some of the Windows information on Git from this article is outdated. I use TortoiseGit on Windows regularly. It handles all the common cases for me very well. For the uncommon cases, it comes packaged with Bash for Windows, so I can use Git easily from the command line as well.

gilanialiOP15y ago

There is a lighting talk of some of the reasons at PyCon 2009. http://pycon.blip.tv/file/1947231/

The talk starts at 3:45.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

12 comments

11 comments · 3 top-level

oomkiller15y ago· 6 in thread

gilanialiOP15y ago

josephcooney15y ago

Or could it just be that mercurial is written in python?

oomkiller15y ago

Well I did read the article, so I know that was part of it, I just think how the community feels mattered the most.

VBprogrammer15y ago

I don't use Mercurial, but didn't they replace the last of the Python code quite recently?

1 more reply

jacobolus15y ago

Git was created for Linux kernel development. How in the world does Ruby have anything to do with anything?

JustinSeriously15y ago

I think the logic is this: Github is popular. Ruby is the most popular language on Github. Therefore Ruby and Git are connected.

mixu15y ago· 2 in thread

Second, and just as important as the first issue, is that the Python core developers liked git the least out of the three DVCS options by a wide margin."

I'm using Mercurial for the same reason - Windows support without complex dependencies.

tjsimmons15y ago

But, git felt weird. I don't know how to explain it other than that, but reading Python's decision to go with Mercurial just seemed to reinforce that to me. So I've switched back.

jncraton15y ago

gilanialiOP15y ago

There is a lighting talk of some of the reasons at PyCon 2009. http://pycon.blip.tv/file/1947231/

The talk starts at 3:45.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse