Version 12.4.0

*Released 2020-02-08*

**New features:**

- Set default values for arguments appearing repeatedly. We also have a `wiki page for the new defaults`_. (`#1490`_)

- Store data in ``CallbackContext.bot_data`` to access it in every callback. Also persists. (`#1325`_)

- ``Filters.poll`` allows only messages containing a poll (`#1673`_)

**Major changes:**

- ``Filters.text`` now accepts messages that start with a slash, because ``CommandHandler`` checks for ``MessageEntity.BOT_COMMAND`` since v12. This might lead to your MessageHandlers receiving more updates than before (`#1680`_).

- ``Filters.command`` new checks for ``MessageEntity.BOT_COMMAND`` instead of just a leading slash. Also by ``Filters.command(False)`` you can now filters for messages containing a command `anywhere` in the text (`#1744`_).

**Minor changes, CI improvements or bug fixes:**

- Add ``disptacher`` argument to ``Updater`` to allow passing a customized ``Dispatcher`` (`#1484`_)

- Add missing names for ``Filters`` (`#1632`_)

- Documentation fixes (`#1624`_, `#1647`_, `#1669`_, `#1703`_, `#1718`_, `#1734`_, `#1740`_, `#1642`_, `#1739`_, `#1746`_)

- CI improvements (`#1716`_, `#1731`_, `#1738`_, `#1748`_, `#1749`_, `#1750`_, `#1752`_)

- Fix spelling issue for ``encode_conversations_to_json`` (`#1661`_)

- Remove double assignement of ``Dispatcher.job_queue`` (`#1698`_)

- Expose dispatcher as property for ``CallbackContext`` (`#1684`_)

- Fix ``None`` check in ``JobQueue._put()`` (`#1707`_)

- Log datetimes correctly in ``JobQueue`` (`#1714`_)

- Fix false ``Message.link`` creation for private groups (`#1741`_)

- Add option ``--with-upstream-urllib3`` to `setup.py` to allow using non-vendored version (`#1725`_)

- Fix persistence for nested ``ConversationHandlers`` (`#1679`_)

- Improve handling of non-decodable server responses (`#1623`_)

- Fix download for files without ``file_path`` (`#1591`_)

- test_webhook_invalid_posts is now considered flaky and retried on failure (`#1758`_)

.. _`wiki page for the new defaults`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/wiki/Adding-defaults-to-your-bot

.. _`#1744`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1744

.. _`#1752`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1752

.. _`#1750`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1750

.. _`#1591`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1591

.. _`#1490`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1490

.. _`#1749`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1749

.. _`#1623`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1623

.. _`#1748`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1748

.. _`#1679`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1679

.. _`#1711`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1711

.. _`#1325`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1325

.. _`#1746`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1746

.. _`#1725`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1725

.. _`#1739`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1739

.. _`#1741`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1741

.. _`#1642`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1642

.. _`#1738`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1738

.. _`#1740`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1740

.. _`#1734`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1734

.. _`#1680`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1680

.. _`#1718`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1718

.. _`#1714`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1714

.. _`#1707`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1707

.. _`#1731`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1731

.. _`#1673`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1673

.. _`#1684`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1684

.. _`#1703`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1703

.. _`#1698`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1698

.. _`#1669`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1669

.. _`#1661`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1661

.. _`#1647`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1647

.. _`#1632`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1632

.. _`#1624`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1624

.. _`#1716`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1716

.. _`#1484`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1484

.. _`#1758`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1484

**Minor changes, CI improvements or bug fixes:**

.. _`#1631`: https://github.com/python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot/pull/1631