[Python-Dev] End of the line

[Mark Hammond]

> let's-model-PythonIO-on-the-win32-api<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim

Interestingly, this raises a point worth mentioning sans-wink :-)

Win32 has quite a nice concept that file handles (nearly all handles
really) are "waitable".

Indeed, in the Win32 world, this feature usually prevents me from using the
"threading" module - I need to wait on objects other than threads or locks
(usually files, but sometimes child processes).  I also usually need a
"wait for the first one of these objects", which threading doesnt provide,
but that is a digression...

What Im getting at is that a Python IO model should maybe go a little
further than "tradtional" IO - asynchronous IO and synchronisation
capabilities should also be specified.  Of course, these would be optional,
but it would be excellent if a platform could easily slot into pre-defined
Python semantics if possible.

Is this reasonable, or really simply too hard to abstract in the manner I
an talking!?

Mark.