[IronPython] Feedback needed for bug fix:Import pre-compiledmodules

[Keith J. Farmer]

Why do you assume the deployment will involve dropping IronPython in the application directory?  Sure, you *could*, but it's unreasonable, I think, to force the end user to have Yet Another Copy of a dll when it could just reference the latest-and-greatest at a central location.

The situation I see is:

Install IronPython.
Install a binaries-only IP app.
Update IronPython to change a spelling error in a resource -- suddenly the app doesn't even load.

So, for binaries-only, the situation's just plain broken.  Granted, I'd wager that most Python is distributed with source (if not as source).

Another alternative?  Use explicit interfaces in the IronPython runtime to allow side-by-side versioning of the API.  The exe's bootstrapper can load IronPython.dll without using the strong name, grab the runtime, cast to that interface and deal with versioning issues for some period of time before obsoletion.  This would also allow developers to switch compatibility levels when testing their programs.

-----Original Message-----
From: users-bounces at lists.ironpython.com [mailto:users-bounces at lists.ironpython.com] On Behalf Of J. Merrill
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 8:03 PM
To: Discussion of IronPython
Subject: Re: [IronPython] Feedback needed for bug fix:Import pre-compiledmodules

Could IP just ignore the timestamp on ironpython.dll and let the .Net runtime figure out if there are any references to no-longer-present mechanisms within the binary?

Keith, is it really the case that your clients without Python source are going to download new versions of IP and (this is important) put them in the directory with your software?  That is, assuming that you put IP.DLL in the directory with the EXEs/DLLs you built, even if they're doing their own IP development elsewhere on the machine and updating it regularly, won't your executables use the old IP.DLL until you give them the new one (and presumably matching recompiled EXEs/DLLs)?

At 09:24 PM 1/22/2007, Keith J. Farmer wrote
>the upgraded-ironpython scenario
>
>>>> I do not think this is supported. The pre-compiled module has much dependency on IronPython.dll. Some emitted calls in those modules could be changed (or removed) in the next version of IronPython.dll.
>
> 
>That makes me itch...  I understand runtime dependencies, but the binaries-only deployment scenario just dropped in value if they are completely invalidated because the runtime undergoes a minor rev (or is otherwise touched).
> 
>Would it be possible for the runtime to query the assembly to determine if it's compatible or not?  Some sort of poor man's static analysis (eg, a manifest of API dependencies could be generated when the assembly is stored to disk, and if the runtime doesn't find any in the list that match any breaking change from the producing version, it accepts it).
> 
>
>________________________________
>
>From: users-bounces at lists.ironpython.com on behalf of Haibo Luo
>Sent: Mon 1/22/2007 4:44 PM
>To: Discussion of IronPython
>Subject: Re: [IronPython] Feedback needed for bug fix:Import pre-compiledmodules
>
>
>
>If ironpython.dll is newer than lib.exe, and lib.py does not exist, we should expect an exception? 
>
>>>> Yes
>
>[snip]


J. Merrill / Analytical Software Corp


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