Here’s an updated guide on how to submit bug reports and patches for Python in the most casual way possible (because who wants to read boring technical stuff?):
1. To start make sure you have a working internet connection, because this is gonna be a wild ride. 2. Head over to https://www.python.org/downloads/. This is where the magic happens! You’ll see all sorts of fancy releases and stuff, but don’t worry about that for now we’re here to talk about bug reports and patches.
3. Scroll down a bit until you find the “Beta” section (it might be hidden behind some ads or pop-ups, so keep your eyes peeled). Click on it! 4. You should now see a list of all the beta releases available for Python. Don’t get too excited we’re not here to download anything just yet.
Instead, let’s focus on how to submit bug reports and patches. 5. To do that, you need to have some sort of issue or suggestion related to Python. Maybe you found a bug in the latest version, or maybe you want to add a new feature.
Whatever it is, make sure it’s something worth sharing with the rest of the world! 6. Once you have your idea, head over to https://bugs.python.org/. This is where all the bug reports and patches for Python are stored.
You can browse through existing issues or create a new one by clicking on “New Issue” in the top right corner. 7. When creating a new issue, make sure to provide as much information as possible. What version of Python were you using? Did this happen on Windows, Mac, or Linux? Can you reproduce the bug consistently? All these details will help the developers understand and fix your problem faster! 8.
If you want to submit a patch (which is basically a code change), make sure it’s in line with Python’s coding style guidelines. You can find those at https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/. Also, make sure your patch doesn’t break anything else or introduce new bugs! 9. Once you have a working patch and a detailed bug report, head over to the issue page on https://bugs.python.org/ and click “Attach File”.
Upload your code change (in the form of a .patch file) and include any relevant comments or explanations. 10. Finally, sit back and wait for someone from the Python team to review your patch and bug report. They might ask you some questions or request additional information don’t worry, this is all part of the process! And that’s it! Submitting bug reports and patches for Python isn’t as scary as it sounds (or at least we tried to make it sound less scary).
Just remember to be clear, concise, and helpful and most importantly, have fun with it! All versions of Python are supported for five years and receive security fixes during that period.