NVDA 2024.1: switch to requiring 2024.1 or later

[josephsl]

Hi,

The following builds on #161:

Now that main branch supports NVDA 2024.1 changes, I propose moving to requring NVDA 2024.1 in a future ad-on release. This wil mean strictly using Python 3.11 syntax, speech on demand syntax in 2024.1, among others.

To give time for folks to migrate to the future release, I propose the following process:

1. Release 2024.1 compatibility version: as soon as NVDA 2024.1 RC is released.
2. Release a dev/beta channel build with 2024.1 requirement active: a few weeks after step 1.
3. Release one or two stable channels supporting 2023.x (in case folks report bugs).
4. Release 2024.1 requirement build to the stable channel: a month or two after step 3.

I will create two pull requests:

1. Python 3.11 syntax: assignment expressions, type unions, structural pattern matching (with enums if needed)
2. NVDA 2024.1 API: speech on demand keyword in script decorator

I will submit these pull requests shortly after 2024.1 compatibility version is released (after step 1). In preparation for these, I will deal with some type hinting issues such as proper typing information for NVDA object, mostly to replace typing.Any usage with proper NVDA object type hint to make the code more readable.

Thanks.

[josephsl]

Hi,

Actually, typing.Any -> NVDAObject conversion will be deferred until Python 3.11 pull request is merged.

Thanks.

[ChrisDuffley]

To give time for folks to migrate to the future release, I propose the following process:

1. Release 2024.1 compatibility version: as soon as NVDA 2024.1 RC is released.
2. Release a dev/beta channel build with 2024.1 requirement active: a few weeks after step 1.
3. Release one or two stable channels supporting 2023.x (in case folks report bugs).
4. Release 2024.1 requirement build to the stable channel: a month or two after step 3.

I'd propose until the next stable rlease of 2024, but wasn't sure what your thoughts were on that? The reason for this is some may have add-ons that are not yet compatible with 2024 even a few weeks or months after the first stable. I'd hope this year's transition will be a better one than previous years, but wanted to keep that in mind. Of course, right now it's set to 2022.4 as the minimum required version, but I can change it to 2023.1 since that's the earliest I've technically tested (really 2023.3). I can address this in the Readme once I release the Stable build.
Thanks!

[josephsl]

Hi, I agree – 2024.2 release timeframe seems reasonable. At the moment NVDA’s release process specifies at least eight weeks between releases (based on current release process document), so the earliest we can ask folks to upgrade to 2024.1 or later would be middle of northern spring (say, April or so). Thanks.

[josephsl]

Hi,

For minimum NVDA version, I think we can change it once we do move to requiring NVDA 2024.1 or later.

Thanks.