Mailman 3 October 2020 - docs

[issue18017] ctypes.PyDLL documentation
by Marc Brünink March 13, 2021

March 13, 2021

New submission from Marc Brünink: The documentation for is not very clear regarding the usage of CDLL and PyDLL. Especially it is not obvious that you should use PyDLL whenever you call any function of the Python/C API. Since calling a Python/C API function without owning the GIL will most likely cause latent segfaults, I think it warrants a warning box in section 16.17.2.2 and maybe also somewhere prominent in http://docs.python.org/dev/c-api/intro.html. For section 16.17.2.2 I would put a … [View More]

5 5

[issue27886] Docs: the difference between rename and replace is not obvious
by Andrew Svetlov March 13, 2021

March 13, 2021

New submission from Andrew Svetlov: Hi. On reading the doc for pathlib I've stuck with `.rename()` and `.replace()` (https://docs.python.org/3/library/pathlib.html#pathlib.Path.rename). What's the difference? Going to pathlib's source code I've figured out that methods are use different functions from `os` module: `os.rename()` and `os.replace()`. But the documentation for `os` module is not obvious too: the docs for both functions are almost equal from my perspective, the only … [View More]

4 8

[issue25741] Usual Installation Directory
by Firat Ozgul March 12, 2021

March 12, 2021

New submission from Firat Ozgul: Official documentation reads: "On Windows machines, the Python installation is usually placed in C:\Python35" However, as of Python 3.5.0, usual installation directory on Windows is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Python. ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 255455 nosy: docs@python, firatozgul priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: Usual Installation Directory type: enhancement versions: Python 3.5 … [View More]

6 10

[issue31427] Proposed addition to Windows FAQ
by Stephan Houben March 12, 2021

March 12, 2021

New submission from Stephan Houben: Several people have asked on python-list why they are running into these errors. Python 3.6.0 can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing. The solution is to install KB 2999226 "Update for Universal C Runtime in Windows". https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2999226/update-for-universal-c-run… Propose to add this as a Windows FAQ. ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 301952 nosy: Stephan Houben, … [View More]

4 5

[issue15097] Improving wording on the thread-safeness of import
by Merlijn van Deen March 9, 2021

March 9, 2021

New submission from Merlijn van Deen <valhallasw(a)gmail.com>: http://docs.python.org/library/threading.html#importing-in-threaded-code Currently, the documentation states "Firstly, other than in the main module, an import should not have the side effect of spawning a new thread and then waiting for that thread in any way. Failing to abide by this restriction can lead to a deadlock if the spawned thread directly or indirectly attempts to import a module." which, I think, fails to make … [View More]

3 6

[issue40982] copytree example in shutil
by Alberto Torres Barrán March 7, 2021

March 7, 2021

New submission from Alberto Torres Barrán <albertotb(a)gmail.com>: The copytree example in https://docs.python.org/3/library/shutil.html#copytree-example does not match the source code, even removing docstrings. In particular is missing parameters and the exceptions are in the wrong order (Error will never be reachable since it is n instance of OSError). ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 371535 nosy: Alberto Torres Barrán, docs@python priority: normal … [View More]

3 2

[issue30295] msvcrt SetErrorMode not documented
by Giampaolo Rodola' March 6, 2021

March 6, 2021

New submission from Giampaolo Rodola': Also SEM_FAILCRITICALERRORS and other SEM_constants. They should as setting error mode on Windows for console applications is a pretty common use case (in fact ./Lib/test/libregrtest/setup.py uses it). ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 293189 nosy: docs@python, giampaolo.rodola priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: msvcrt SetErrorMode not documented versions: Python 3.4, Python 3.5, Python 3.6, Python 3.… [View More]

2 3

[issue8557] subprocess portability issue
by Dave Abrahams March 5, 2021

March 5, 2021

New submission from Dave Abrahams <dave(a)boostpro.com>: On POSIX systems, the PATH environment variable is always used to look up directory-less executable names passed as the first argument to Popen(...), but on Windows, PATH is only considered when shell=True is also passed. Actually I think it may be slightly weirder than that when shell=False, because the following holds for me: C:\>rem ##### Prepare minimal PATH ##### C:\>set "PATH=C:\Python26\Scripts;C:\Python26;C:\… [View More]

8 23

[issue16272] C-API documentation clarification for tp_dictoffset
by Chris Colbert March 5, 2021

March 5, 2021

New submission from Chris Colbert: The documentation of the tp_dictoffset is a bit unclear when describing the responsibilities of a base type with a nonzero tp_dictoffset. http://docs.python.org/c-api/typeobj.html I feel there should some statement to the effect of: """ If a type defines a nonzero tp_dictoffset, that type is responsible for defining a `__dict__` slot as part of the tp_getset structures. Failure to do so will result in the dict being inaccesible from Python via `obj.… [View More]

6 7

[issue39375] Document os.environ[x] = y and os.putenv() as thread unsafe
by Gregory P. Smith March 4, 2021

March 4, 2021

New submission from Gregory P. Smith <greg(a)krypto.org>: The underlying API calls made by os.putenv() and os.environ[name] = value syntax are not thread safe on POSIX systems. POSIX _does not have_ any thread safe way to access the process global environment. In a pure Python program, the GIL prevents this from being an issue. But when embedded in a C/C++ program or using extension modules that launch their own threads from C, those threads could also make the invalid assumption that … [View More]

4 8