/docs/releases/1.2-rc-1.txt

  1=============================
  2Django 1.2 RC 1 release notes
  3=============================
  4
  5
  6May 5, 2010
  7
  8Welcome to the first Django 1.2 release candidate!
  9
 10This is the third -- and likely last -- in a series of
 11preview/development releases leading up to the eventual release of
 12Django 1.2. This release is targeted primarily at developers who are
 13interested in trying out new features and testing the Django codebase
 14to help identify and resolve any critical bugs prior to the final 1.2
 15release.
 16
 17As such, this release is not yet intended for production use, and any
 18such use is discouraged.
 19
 20Django has been feature frozen since the 1.2 beta release, so this
 21release candidate contains no new features, only bugfixes; for a
 22summary of features new to Django 1.2, consult the :doc:`1.2 alpha
 23</releases/1.2-alpha-1>` and :doc:`1.2 beta </releases/1.2-beta-1>`
 24release notes.
 25
 26
 27Python compatibility
 28====================
 29
 30While not a new feature, it's important to note that Django 1.2
 31introduces the first shift in our Python compatibility policy since
 32Django's initial public debut. Previous Django releases were tested
 33and supported on 2.x Python versions from 2.3 up; Django 1.2, however,
 34drops official support for Python 2.3. As such, the minimum Python
 35version required for Django is now 2.4, and Django is tested and
 36supported on Python 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6, and will be supported on the
 37as-yet-unreleased Python 2.7.
 38
 39This change should affect only a small number of Django users, as most
 40operating-system vendors today are shipping Python 2.4 or newer as
 41their default version. If you're still using Python 2.3, however,
 42you'll need to stick to Django 1.1 until you can upgrade; per
 43:doc:`our support policy </internals/release-process>`, Django 1.1 will
 44continue to receive security support until the release of Django 1.3.
 45
 46A roadmap for Django's overall 2.x Python support, and eventual
 47transition to Python 3.x, is currently being developed, and will be
 48announced prior to the release of Django 1.3.
 49
 50
 51The Django 1.2 roadmap
 52======================
 53
 54As of this release candidate, Django 1.2 is in both feature freeze and
 55"string freeze" -- all strings marked for translation in the Django
 56codebase will retain their current form in the final Django 1.2
 57release. Only critical release-blocking bugs, documentation and
 58updated translation files will receive attention between now and the
 59final 1.2 release. Note that Django's localization infrastructure has
 60been expanded for 1.2, and translation packages should now include a
 61``formats.py`` file containing data for localized formatting of
 62numbers and dates.
 63
 64If no critical bugs are discovered, Django 1.2 will be released
 65approximately one week after this release candidate, on or about May
 6612, 2010.
 67
 68
 69What you can do to help
 70=======================
 71
 72In order to provide a high-quality 1.2 release, we need your
 73help. Although this release candidate is, again, *not* intended for
 74production use, you can help the Django team by trying out this
 75release candidate in a safe testing environment and reporting any bugs
 76or issues you encounter. The Django ticket tracker is the central
 77place to search for open issues:
 78
 79    * http://code.djangoproject.com/timeline
 80
 81Please open a new ticket only if no existing ticket corresponds to a
 82problem you're running into.
 83
 84Additionally, discussion of Django development, including progress
 85toward the 1.2 release, takes place daily on the django-developers
 86mailing list:
 87
 88    * http://groups.google.com/group/django-developers
 89
 90... and in the ``#django-dev`` IRC channel on ``irc.freenode.net``. If you're
 91interested in helping out with Django's development, feel free to join the
 92discussions there.
 93
 94Django's online documentation also includes pointers on how to contribute to
 95Django: 
 96
 97    * :doc:`How to contribute to Django </internals/contributing>`
 98
 99Contributions on any level -- developing code, writing documentation or simply
100triaging tickets and helping to test proposed bugfixes -- are always welcome and
101appreciated.