[Python-Dev] Winreg recap

[Paul Prescod]

I specifically asked everyone here if an abstraction was a good idea. I
got three + votes and no - votes. One of the + votes requested that we
still ship the underlying module. Fine. I was actually pointed (on
python-dev) to specs for an abstraction layer that AFAIK had been
designed *on Python-dev*.

Back then, I said:

> > I've just had a chance to look at the winreg module. I think that it is
> > too low-level.

Mark Hammond said:
> I agree. There was a proposal (from Thomas Heller, IIRC) to do just this.
> I successfully argued there should be _2_ modules for Python - the raw
> low-level API, which guarantees you can do (almost) anything.  A
> higher-level API could cover the 80% of cases.
> ...
> I have no real problem with your proposed design, as long as it it written
> in Python, _using_ the low-level API.  It could be called "registry" or I
> would even be happy for "winreg.pyd" -> "_winreg.pyd" and your new module
> to be called "winreg.py"

Gordon pointed me to the spec. I took it and expanded on it to cover a
wider range of cases.

So now I go off and code it up and in addition to complaining about one
detail, I'm also told that there is no real point to having a high level
API. Windows users are accustomed to hacks and pain so crank it up!

> FWIW, I ignored all the winreg modules, and all the debate about them.  Why?
> Just because Mark's had been in use for years already, so was already
> battle-tested.  There's no chance that any other platform will ever make use
> of this module, and given that its appeal is thus solely to Windows users,
> it was fine by me if it didn't abstract *anything* away from MS's Win32 API.

It is precisely because it is for Windows users -- often coming from VB,
JavaScript or now C# -- that it needs to be abstracted.

I have the philosophy that I come to Python (both the language and the
library) because I want things to be easy and powerful at the same time.
Whereever feasible, our libraries *should* be cleaner and better than
the hacks that they cover up. Shouldn't they? I mean even *Microsoft*
abstracted over the registry API for VB, JavaScript, C# (and perhaps
Java). Are we really going to do less for our users?

To me, Python (language and library) is a refuge from the hackiness of
the rest of the world.

-- 
 Paul Prescod - Not encumbered by corporate consensus
"I don't want you to describe to me -- not ever -- what you were doing
to that poor boy to make him sound like that; but if you ever do it
again, please cover his mouth with your hand," Grandmother said.
	-- John Irving, "A Prayer for Owen Meany"