[Python-3000] Using memoryviews

[Nick Coghlan]

Benjamin Peterson wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 1:41 PM, M.-A. Lemburg <mal at egenix.com> wrote:
>> In the past, we've always tried to provide abstract access methods to
>> C struct internals of Python objects and I wonder whether this was
>> deliberately not done for Py_buffer structs or simply not considered.
>>
>> I don't think it's a good idea to use my_Py_buffer->buf in a C
>> extension and would rather like to write:
>>
>> Py_Buffer_AS_BUFFER(my_Py_buffer)
>> Py_Buffer_GET_SIZE(my_Py_buffer)
>> Py_Buffer_GET_ITEM_SIZE(my_Py_buffer)
>> etc.
> 
> I think that's a good idea, too, and we should get something like that
> in for 3.1. I rather feel like the new buffer API slipped in without
> any real review.

The review that was done was actually quite extensive - see PEP 3118.
However:
1. There's a reason 3118 is still at accepted rather than final - the
major foundations (and the all-important underlying protocol) are in
place, but there are finishing touches still needed.
2. The review of the PEP focused on the power and capabilities of the
underlying protocol and less on the aesthetics of the C API.

The PEP was fairly explicit that the fields in the Py_buffer struct were
public and accessed directly via C syntax though, as are the current
docs (http://docs.python.org/dev/3.0/c-api/buffer.html).

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
---------------------------------------------------------------