Replace deprecation lists in whatsnew files with tables

[ezio-melotti]

Documentation

The whatsnew files currently contain lists of removals, deprecations, and pending removals (see e.g. https://docs.python.org/3.13/whatsnew/3.13.html#new-deprecations). These tables are not particularly easy to navigate and take enough space (~1/3?) that they make the whatsnew itself difficult to navigate too.

I would consider replacing them with one or more tables.

The columns could include:

1. the deprecated/removed API (which links to the API itself using :func:/:class:/:meth:/etc.)
2. the version where the deprecation was introduced
3. the version where the API is/will be removed (not needed if we have a separate table for each version)
4. a link to the PR that introduced the deprecation
5. possibly the contributor

The table won't contain the full description that explains why it was deprecated and how to replace it, making the table more compact and easier to navigate than the list we currently have. This will also saves us from (near) duplicating the description in both the .. deprecated:: directive in the modules pages and in the whatsnew.

Most deprecated APIs are seldomly used and don't affect many users. If they do, they are probably just a small fraction of all the deprecations, so all the text in the list is not particularly useful. It's also easier to run the code and see the deprecation warnings/errors or quickly scan a table than scanning a long list of deprecations.

The table is still convenient for checking if anything I'm using has been deprecated, for ctrl+f'ing deprecated APIs as I'm fixing them, for finding links to the APIs, and for reviewing the versions where they will be removed.

Some notes about using tables:

• Some deprecation require short description (e.g. "Passing more than one positional argument to sqlite3.connect()"). There are possible solutions to this:
  • don't elaborate further and just link to the API that contains the deprecation notice
  • have a column for the "affect API" and a "note" column where to add a short description (if needed)
  • only use the tables for deprecated APIs, leaving the rest as a list
• The name/link to the API already contains the module name, but a separate column for the module might be easier to read
• If we have different tables depending on the version the APIs is being removed, then we won't need a column for it.
• Like the lists, the tables can be included in multiple whatsnew files using include files (see Docs: move deprecations into include files #122085)

(cc @hugovk, @AA-Turner, @encukou)

[encukou]

For standardizing the format of the entries, I'm worried that:

• some information could disappear
• porting info would be removed in the version where API is removed
• it'll be harder to scan for deprecated API that doesn't have info on how to port away from it

I'd prefer to first add guidelines on how a deprecation note should look, and then going through this list. But of course, as a volunteer, you get to prioritize/order the tasks :)

For switching to a table specifically, I'm worried that it'll require scrolling or a big monitor. Note that some deprecated APIs have long names, like asyncio.AbstractEventLoopPolicy.get_child_watcher. These would make the whole column wider.

[willingc]

porting info would be removed in the version where API is removed

I'm wondering if it would make sense to have documentation removal lag code removal by one release. For example:

• 3.(x): Document removal in 3.(x+1)
• 3.(x+1): Remove from code. Document removal from code and add porting suggestion.
• 3.(x+2): Remove from documentation.