[Python-Dev] MS VC 7 offer

[Mark Hammond]

[Guido]

> I can see advantages and disadvantages of moving to VC 7; I'm sure the
> VC 7 compiler is more standard-compliant and generates faster code,
> but a disadvantage is that you can't apparently link binaries built
> with VC 6 to a program built with VC 7, meaning that 3rd party
> extensions will have to be recompiled with VC 7 as well.

Actually, I think this need not be true.  I have MSVC7, not currently
installed, but when it was I did manage to mix and match compilers for
Python and extensions without problem.

I am happy to play with this, but am short on time for a week or so.

Another thing to consider is the "make" environment.  If we don't use
DevStudio, then presumably our existing project files will become useless.
Not a huge problem, but a real one.  MSVC exported makefiles are not
designed to be maintained.  I'm having good success with autoconf and Python
on other projects, but that would raise the barrier to including cygwin in
your build environment.

Then-just-one-step-from-gcc <wink> ly,

Mark.