Port code to py3 and drop py2 code

[t0b3]

@nicholascar I found time to port codebase to py3, drop unused legacy py2 code and simplify the test call. Finally I fixed a test issue, errors didn't show up in travis results.

[nicholascar]

@t0b3 This is a really neat tidy-up! Only the necessary changes made, looks good.

I've asked @dayures & @wikier to review as they are the main SPARQLWrapper maintainers and I'd like to wait a few days to give them a chance to do so. If they don't raise any objections by Wednesday (5 days from now) I'll merge this in. Thanks for the work.

[dayures]

related issue #16

[dayures]

thanks for your help and spirit!

[nicholascar]

Merging since this have been approved by @dayures

[rchateauneu]

What is please the latest sparqlwrapper version which officially works with Python 2 ? Thanks.

[nicholascar]

I guess that is 1.8.5 which was released on PyPI in December last year.

This merge will only kick in with a new release which we might call 2.0.0 in a few weeks from now. We haven’t come out with a proper development and release plan but, in general, we just want to tidy up code (style only) and fold in a few of the existing Pull Requests and that will make for a good 2.0.0.

[t0b3]

@nicholascar it would be great to have a new release with native support for py3 cause the current release depends on 2to3 conversion which is being phased out ... i.e. https://bugs.gentoo.org/812236
btw: I really don't care the numbers 1.8.6 or 2.0.0 or whatever...

[nicholascar]

I'm not extremely motivated to put much effort into SPARQLWrapper as I find that a few lines of requests or httpx do most of the SPARQL interactions I need! I assume that before requests the value proposition of SPARQLWrapper over urllib was greater...

That said, it's reasonably popular and people do care about it still so I'm happy to maintain things and I might get motivated to develop too, if I can be convinced that using SPARQLWrapper is much better than a few lines of requests or httpx. I do make lots of Python-to-SPARQL calls each day for work (i.e. this isn't just a hobby).

@t0b3 would you be interested in taking the lead on the update you mentioned above - new release - and perhaps SPARQLWrapper in general? If you do, I will assist.

[t0b3]

I imagined releasing just the current master straight away by

1. add a tag i.e. 1.8.6
2. release this with Tagging version 1.8.5 release of SPARQLWrapper.

In case there would be more demanding requests I join you in feeling more resources shall be added.