Python
Python 2.6 has been released. This is an important step in migrating to the (not backwards compatible Python 3.0).
The Python community has worked very hard to minimize the disruptive impact of the transition and make it more seamless and natural. The 2.6 release is a very important part of that strategy because it provides a crucial stepping stone for the migration of existing code. Python 2.6 provides backwards compatibility with the 2.0 series but also includes many features that have been backported from Python 3.0. Additional 3.0 features can be toggled individually by importing from future_builtins and using various flags at the command line. Python 2.6 also emits warnings when it detects the use of deprecated functionality that will not be supported in 3.0. This approach will make it possible for third-party developers to shift applications and libraries over to 3.0 incrementally and with minimal breakage.
I’m not looking forwards to 3.0’s default floating point division, but I’m still happy to see Python progress.