[Python-Dev] Activating pymalloc

[Tim Peters]

[Guido]
> Some extensions will break because they don't use the right
> alloc/dealloc macros (we just fixed a few of these in Zope)

Are "the right" alloc/dealloc macros documented anywhere?  I can't find it,
if they are.  Much of a pymalloc fan as I am, I'm -1 on introducing it if we
can't give extension authors a clear, brief, prominent and self-contained
account of the memory rules they're supposed to follow (I don't really know
what they are -- I always reverse-engineer it as needed, because I never
found a place in the docs that offered sufficient guidance).

[Neal]
> A lot of extensions will break.  The example code in xxmodule.c was
> "wrong" for years.

Ditto Zope (as Guido said), ditto Marc-Andre's extensions, ditto NumPy
(IIRC), yadda yadda yadda.  I don't know whether MarkH has tried the massive
Win32 extensions with pymalloc yet.

> ...
> I'm afraid users are going to be upset when they upgrade to 2.3 and
> things start crashing because they are using some broken extension
> modules.

Oh, the users are always upset:  they should view breakage in a new area as
a refreshing change of pace <wink>.