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# 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.)

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