[Python-Dev] The C API and wide unicode support

[Michael Hudson]

Guido van Rossum <guido@python.org> writes:

> > We can't prevent this sort of thing totally, but I think it should be
> > possible to carry out simple unicode manipulations (like this example
> > of returning a buffer) without incurring this kind of binary
> > compatibility worry.  Maybe a "safe" api, plastered with warning signs
> > in the docs about poking into the internal structure of the objects.
> 
> That might work.  Or you could call the Python APIs from C. :-)

That's what I'm doing for pygame.  It's probably the best option,
really -- complaining ain't gonna get this changed for the 2.2 series,
for one thing.

Better docs would help; I'll put that on my list, and stop moaning
about this.

> > I wonder why Redhat distribute wide unicode builds?  That's the
> > immediate cause of the problem.  Maybe we could ask them...
> 
> I've had little luck trying to communicate with RedHat about their
> Python releases.

There's an email address in the spec file; teg (at) obvious.domain.  I
might ask him.

[...]
> > [*] actually, I think pygame might break with a wide unicode build.
> 
> Hm, so maybe you should fix that first before you start complaining.

Hey, I can do two things at once!  Patches are on their way to Pete.

Cheers,
M.

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