[Python-Dev] RE: how to kill process on Windows started with os.spawn?

[Mark Hammond]

> Mark Hammond replied:
>
>     This worked for me just then:
>
>     >>> os.spawnl(os.P_NOWAIT, "f:\\windows\\notepad.exe")
>     548
>     >>> import win32api
>     >>> win32api.TerminateProcess(548,0)
>
> Tim also replied:
>
>     Tim> For 2.3, I implemented something or other for the Python core;
>     Tim> probably killpid();
>
> Shouldn't one of these solutions (or some variant) appear under the veneer
> of os.kill()?  I realize the semantics might not be exactly the same

The key difference is that kill() wants a PID, while TerminateProcess wants
a handle.

Now, we *could* add a kill() (assuming it is not already there) but that
would not solve your specific problem, as you have a handle and you would
then need a platform specific way to convert it to a PID.  It seems too hard
to win.

> (perhaps Windows solutions don't support different signals or a different
> set of signals), but it seems to me that if an attempt is made to provide
> the os.spawn* functions across platforms we should make a similar
> attempt to
> provide a way to kill spawned processes as well.

Yes, a higher-level execution API would be worthwhile, especially if that
could be expressed using posix semantics as a fallback.  I am thinking of
what threading is to thread, this new API could be to the various
spawn/exec/popen functions.

> Corollary question: Is there some reason the win32api stuff isn't in the
> core?

Even if we ignore Tim's requirements ('cos I know I will <wink>) there is
still alot of work, and a *huge* amount of code.  Do we want win32api, all
of the "win32*" modules in win32all, or all of win32all.  The win32api
modules seems very useful, and it is for trivial things - but once you start
doing real things, the other win32 modules start becoming useful, and so it
goes.

On the other hand, if these extensions were in the core, I wouldn't
personally be worrying about those damn hex literal warnings <wink>.

Mark.