[Python-checkins] r46642 - in python/trunk: Lib/socket.py Lib/struct.py Lib/test/test_socket.py Lib/test/test_struct.py Modules/_struct.c Modules/socketmodule.c

["Martin v. Löwis"]

Martin Blais wrote:
> Python supports I-don-t-know how many platforms, but it's a lot.   A
> little document from someone in-the-know (like you or someone else) to
> describe the situation of ssize_t and size_t availability with respect
> to all platforms (i.e. what is "universally" available), and what we
> should do about it within the context of Python, would help a lot.   A
> blog entry or a posting to python-dev would do.  This would save
> people a lot of time...

Maybe - I can't help here, I don't blog. But the story is really short.
size_t is part of standard C (since C89), so it is available on all
supported platforms (Python requires C89 from the target platform).
ssize_t is not part of standard C, but is part of Posix. So it might not
be available on all systems (Python doesn't require POSIX).

For example, Visual C++ doesn't have ssize_t, although PC/pyconfig.h
defines it to simplify porting.

Regards,
Martin