[Python-Dev] Why is python linked with c++?

[Martin v. Löwis]

Neil Schemenauer <nas-python@python.ca> writes:

> The current configure script sets LINKCC to CXX if CXX is set.

No, it also checks if you can link C++ programs with CC, and uses CC
to link if you can:

# LINKCC is the command that links the python executable -- default is $(CC).
# If CXX is set, and if it is needed to link a main function that was
# compiled with CXX, LINKCC is CXX instead. Always using CXX is undesirable:
# python might then depend on the C++ runtime
# This is altered for AIX in order to build the export list before 
# linking.
AC_SUBST(LINKCC)
AC_MSG_CHECKING(LINKCC)
if test -z "$LINKCC"
then
        if test -z "$CXX"; then
              LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
        else
              echo 'void foo();int main(){foo();}void foo(){}' > conftest.$ac_ext
              $CXX -c conftest.$ac_ext 2>&5
              if $CC -o conftest$ac_exeext conftest.$ac_objext 2>&5 \
                 && test -s conftest$ac_exeext && ./conftest$ac_exeext
              then
                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
              else
                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CXX)"
              fi
              rm -fr conftest*
        fi
	case $ac_sys_system in
	AIX*)
	   exp_extra="\"\""
	   if test $ac_sys_release -ge 5 -o \
		   $ac_sys_release -eq 4 -a `uname -r` -ge 2 ; then
	       exp_extra="."
	   fi
	   LINKCC="\$(srcdir)/Modules/makexp_aix Modules/python.exp $exp_extra \$(LIBRARY); $LINKCC";;
	dgux*)
	   LINKCC="LD_RUN_PATH=$libdir $LINKCC";;
	Monterey64*)
	   LINKCC="$LINKCC -L/usr/lib/ia64l64";;
	esac
fi
AC_MSG_RESULT($LINKCC)

This change was needed to support various C++ compilers that would
fail to link Modules/ccpython.cc with the C compiler.

Regards,
Martin