[Python-Dev] RE: DLL in the system directory on Windows

Mark Hammond mhammond@skippinet.com.au
Fri, 7 Apr 2000 11:36:30 +1000


[I wrote]

> My only objection is that this is a PITA.  It becomes a
...
> However, to do this properly, we must do _every_ exported
...
> Im really not convinced it is worth it to save one, well-named DLL
> in the system directory.

ie, lots of good reasons _not_ to do this.

However, it is worth pointing out that there is one good - possibly
compelling - reason to consider this.

Not only would we drop the dependency from the system directory, we
could also drop the dependency to the Python version.

That is, any C extension compiled for 1.6 would be able to
automatically and without recompilation work with Python 1.7, so
long as we kept all the same public names.  It is too late for
Python 1.5, but it would be a nice feature if an upgrade to Python
1.7 did not require waiting for every extension author to catch up.

OTOH, if Python 1.7 is really the final in the 1.x family, is it
worth it for a single version?

Just-musing-ly,

Mark.