If the cache.json is always present, that would make things much easier indeed.

If the cache.json is always present, that would make things much easier indeed.

Either way, we can look for the cache.json file first to see if it's there. If it is, then use it. If not, fall back to the way things are currently done.

Implemented in https://github.com/fedora-infra/anitya/tree/gnome_cache but tbh I am not sure I like it, it seems to make the code more complex than anything.

Well, you could break out the part inside the try block into a function with a name to help consolidate it -- make it easier to read:

try:
    use_gnome_cache_json()
except Exception as e:
    log.warning(e)  # Should almost certainly log something about the exception, even if its benign.
    use_gnome_regex()

(+1) to ralph suggestion