[Python-Dev] Baffled by PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords modification

[Tim Peters]

[Jeremy]
>> I added some const to several API functions that take char* but
>> typically called by passing string literals.  In C++, a string literal
>> is a const char* so you need to add a const_cast<> to every call site,
>> which is incredibly cumbersome.  After some discussion on python-dev,
>> I made changes to a small set of API functions and chased the
>> const-ness the rest of the way, as you would expect.  There was
>> nothing random about the places const was added.

[Guido]
> I still don't understand *why* this was done,

Primarily to make life easier for C++ programmers using Python's C
API.  But didn't Jeremy just say that?

Some people (including me) have been adding const to char* API
arguments for years, but in much slower motion, and at least I did it
only when someone complained about a specific function.

> nor how the set of functions was chosen if not randomly.

    [Jeremy]
    I added some const to several API functions that take char* but
    typically called by passing string literals.

If he had _stuck_ to that, we wouldn't be having this discussion :-) 
(that is, nobody passes string literals to
PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords's kws argument).