[Python-Dev] deprecate commands.getstatus()
Michael Foord
fuzzyman at voidspace.org.uk
Thu Mar 22 22:34:46 CET 2007
Guido van Rossum wrote:
> On 3/22/07, Jon Ribbens <jon+python-dev at unequivocal.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> "\"Martin v. Löwis\"" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
>>
>>>> And do we even need os.fork(), os.exec*(), os.spawn*()?
>>>>
>>> I don't know about about *os*.fork; I surely like to have posix.fork.
>>> The posix module exposes many OS functions as-is. This has the
>>> advantage that their semantics are crystal-clear: they do whatever the
>>> system call does (which, ideally, is what POSIX specifies for it).
>>> So you can do systems programming in Python, and only need good
>>> knowledge of the underlying system calls (i.e. using Python as a
>>> better C).
>>>
>> I definitely agree. Removing the POSIX system call mappings would make
>> Python less useful and general-purpose.
>>
>> Yes it's nice to have high-level utility functions like those in the
>> subprocess module, but I think it's very important for the low-level
>> functions to be there too when you need them.
>>
>
> Sure. os.fork() and the os.exec*() family can stay. But os.spawn*(),
> that abomination invented by Microsoft? I also hear no opposition
> against killign os.system() and os.popen()
Except that 'os.system' is really easy to use and I use it rarely enough
that I *always* have to RTFM for subprocess which makes you jump through
a few more (albeit simple) hoops.
Additionally, AFAIK subprocess is still broken for py2exe'd applications
which is a problem.
All the best,
Michael Foord
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