
What's New In Python 3.1
************************

Author:
   No one so far

Release:
   3.1a1

Date:
   March 07, 2009

This article explains the new features in Python 3.1, compared to 3.0.


Other Language Changes
======================

Some smaller changes made to the core Python language are:

* The ``int()`` type gained a ``bit_length`` method that returns the
  number of bits necessary to represent its argument in binary:

     >>> n = 37
     >>> bin(37)
     '0b100101'
     >>> n.bit_length()
     6
     >>> n = 2**123-1
     >>> n.bit_length()
     123
     >>> (n+1).bit_length()
     124

  (Contributed by Fredrik Johansson and Victor Stinner; issue 3439.)
