[Python-Dev] Re: [Patches] PC\config.[hc] changes for Win64

[Neil Hodgson]

> Now all we need is "win64s" - it will respond to Neil's criticism that
> mixed mode programs are a pain, and MS will tell us what "win64s" will
> solve all our problems, and allow win32 to run 64 bit programs well into
> the future.  Until everyone in the world realizes it sucks, and MS
promptly
> says it was only ever a hack in the first place, and everyone should be on
> Win64 by now anyway :-)

   Maybe someone has made noise about this before I joined the discussion,
but I see the absence of a mixed mode being a big problem for users. I don't
think that there will be the 'quick clean" migration from 32 to 64 that
there was for 16 to 32. It doesn't offer that much for most applications. So
there will need to be both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Python present on
machines. With duplicated libraries. Each DLL should be available in both 32
and 64 bit form. The IDEs will have to be available in both forms as they
are loading, running and debugging code of either width. Users will have to
remember to run a different Python if they are using libraries of the
non-default width.

   Neil