Farewell to Python 2: Moving Onwards with Python 3
At AB Electronics UK, we are committed to providing the best tools and libraries for your projects. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our software offerings, we have made the decision to drop support for Python 2 in our main Python library, available at https://github.com/abelectronicsuk/ABElectronics_Python_Libraries.
This has not been a decision we have taken lightly, but it is an important step towards ensuring that we can continue to offer modern, reliable, and feature-rich libraries for all our users.
Why We Are No Longer Supporting Python 2
Python 2 reached its official end of life on 1st January 2020, with no further updates, security patches, or improvements being made by the Python Software Foundation. Since then, the wider software community has steadily moved towards full Python 3 adoption, and it has become increasingly difficult to maintain compatibility with both Python 2 and Python 3 without limiting the potential of our libraries.
Additionally, the Raspberry Pi OS – the primary operating system for Raspberry Pi computers – has also dropped support for Python 2 in its default installation. Python 3 is now the standard across all modern Raspberry Pi devices, meaning Python 2 is no longer needed or recommended for new projects.
Maintaining dual compatibility placed unnecessary constraints on our development process and increased the complexity of adding new features. By focusing solely on Python 3, we can embrace more modern programming techniques, improve performance, and simplify our codebase.
What Happens to the Python 2 Compatible Version?
We recognise that some projects may still rely on the older Python 2 compatible code. To ensure those users are not left behind, we have moved the last Python 2 compatible version of our libraries into a dedicated archive repository: https://github.com/abelectronicsuk/ABElectronics_Python2_Libraries.
This archive will remain available for anyone who still needs it, but it will not receive any further updates or new features. We recommend all users to update their projects to Python 3 wherever possible to benefit from future improvements.
Looking to the Future
Focusing solely on Python 3 allows us to streamline our libraries and unlock exciting new possibilities. Over the coming months, we are planning to add new functionality and enhancements that simply would not have been feasible while maintaining Python 2 compatibility.
We are excited about the future and look forward to bringing you even more powerful tools for your Raspberry Pi and AB Electronics UK products.
Thank you for your continued support, and as always, happy tinkering!
The AB Electronics UK Team