Considering dropping support for Python 3.7

[anjakefala]

I keep running into features that are not supported in Python 3.7.

The latest example is the reason the tests are currently failing. start only got added in sum() in Python 3.8: https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#sum.

The NumPy support table is one I see other projects employ. It says that NumPy dropped support for Python 3.7 on Dec 26, 2021, which was quite a long time ago.

What do we think about dropping that support? Is anyone still on Python 3.7?

[daviewales]

Hmm... I think I was partly responsible for the start argument being used!
I had a look at the Debian Python package, and you have to go back 2 versions before the current stable version of Debian to get to Python 3.7:
https://packages.debian.org/buster/python3

Current stable has Python 3.11:
https://packages.debian.org/bookworm/python3

Note that Buster is still LTS supported until June 2024:
https://wiki.debian.org/LTS

On the other hand, regular non-LTS support for Buster ended in September 2022:
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases#Production_Releases

Note also that Python 3.7 is no longer supported as of June 2023:
https://devguide.python.org/versions/
https://peps.python.org/pep-0537/

So I'd say it's reasonably safe to drop support.

[daviewales]

Oh, I see this has already been done!

[anjakefala]

But, I appreciate the support that it was a reasonable decision!

[cool-RR]

I second that decision, and I generally support aggressively dropping support for old Python versions in the future (e.g. when you start feeling pressure to drop 3.8, 3.9 etc). People who want to use old Python versions can continue using old VisiData versions.