[Python-Dev] Python version numbers and mac OS X

[Jack Jansen]

> > If we could be sure that a newer Python core shared library could work
> > together with an older Python Lib directory (as long as the API
> > versions matched) and would provide at least the functionality of that
> > older Python version we would be fine: use the API version number in
> > the pathname and use the real version number in the lib/python2.2 and
> > such. 
> 
> While this could work, but it would be confusing: sys.version would be
> the version of the core shared library, and applications would expect
> to find the corresponding Lib modules.  IOW, I don't think it's a
> useful feature to have.

Ah, bah! Count on Guido to come with a showstopper for a nifty idea:-(

This means that we must consider the core shared lib and the lib/python2.2 
directory to be very closely coupled. Which in turn means that the only 
reasonable thing to use as the version number in the framework pathname is the 
"2.2" style version number. Which means that although all the infrastructure 
is there we can't have backward compatible plugin modules. Which means Martin 
was right with his original comment.

... unless there is a way in which we could record a different pathname for 
the shared library depending on whether we are linking an extension or an 
application: the former would check that the API version matches, the latter 
that the 2.2-style version matches. Hmm, MacOSX also has special magic for 
plugins, I guess it's time to start looking into that.

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