Worked example · 8 November 2026
Which Python releases still receive upstream fixes?
Two of the three release series in this sample have reached end of life. The third still receives security fixes. Keeping confirmed dates separate from scheduled dates makes this small dataset useful for maintenance planning.
Download the three-record CSV ↓The brief
An engineering team maintaining applications on Python 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11 needs to decide which deployments to review first. The requested unit is one CPython release series. The relevant fields are upstream support status, the end of support and the final patch if the series has closed.
The evidence table
The Python Developer’s Guide lists each series by support phase. Each linked release schedule gives the evidence for its dates. This table records the position on 8 November 2026. Python Developer’s Guide ↗
Why the CSV has two date columns
The 3.9 and 3.10 schedules confirm an exact retirement day and identify the last security patch. The 3.11 schedule gives an expected month. Recording 1 October or 31 October for 3.11 would add precision the source does not supply.
The CSV therefore uses separate fields for an actual end-of-life date and a scheduled month. The final-patch cell for 3.11 is empty because the series was still open. Its latest patch at the review date would answer a different question.
How a team could use the result
Join these rows to a deployment inventory by release series, then identify services running 3.9 or 3.10 for migration review. For 3.11, record the October 2027 planning horizon and revisit the upstream schedule before fixing an internal deadline.
Operating-system distributors and cloud providers may publish their own maintenance policies. Check the actual distribution and support contract before applying an upstream date to a particular service. This sample covers the three series named in the brief; newer releases have their own schedules.