[Python-Dev] PEP 296 - The Buffer Problem

[Tim Peters]

[Scott Gilbert]
> ...
> How would you designate failure/exceptions?  size_t is unsigned everywhere
> I can find it,

Right, and the std requires that size_t resolve to an unsigned type, so
that's reliable.

> so it can't return a negative number on failure.

The usual dodge is to return (and test against)

    (size_t)-1

in that case.  If the caller sees that the result is (size_t)-1, then it
also needs to call PyErr_Occurred() to see whether it's a normal, or error,
return value (and if it is an error case, the routine had to have set a
Python exception, so that PyErr_Occurred() returns true then).

> I guess the void** could be filled in with NULL.

Sounds easier to me <wink>.