Flask's recent 3.1.0 release, launched on November 13, 2024, introduces several important changes and enhancements that reflect its ongoing evolution:

• Dropped Support for Python 3.8: The new version no longer supports Python 3.8, aligning with the trend of moving towards more modern versions of Python to leverage improved features and security updates.

• Updated Dependency Versions: Flask 3.1.0 updates its minimum dependencies to the latest feature releases, requiring Werkzeug version 3.1, ItsDangerous version 2.2, and Blinker version 1.9.

• New Configuration Options: The release adds several configuration options, including:

  • A parameter for Flask.open_resource, open_instance_resource, and Blueprint.open_resource to specify the encoding when opening files in text mode (defaulting to UTF-8).

  • Customization of Request.max_content_length per request instead of globally through MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH, along with new configurations like MAX_FORM_MEMORY_SIZE