[Python-Dev] please consider changing --enable-unicode default to ucs4

[M.-A. Lemburg]

M.-A. Lemburg wrote:
> Also note that Python will complain loudly when you try to load
> a UCS2 extension in a UCS4 build and vice-versa. We've made sure
> that any extension using the Python Unicode C API has to be built
> for the same UCS version of Python. This is done by using different
> names for the C APIs at the C level.
> 
>> These are not isolated incidents.  The following google searches
>> suggest that a number of people spend time trying to figure out why
>> Python extension modules fail on their linux systems:
>>
>> http://www.google.com/search?q=PyUnicodeUCS4_FromUnicode+undefined+symbol
>> http://www.google.com/search?q=+PyUnicodeUCS2_FromUnicode+undefined+symbol
>> http://www.google.com/search?q=_PyUnicodeUCS2_AsDefaultEncodedString+undefined+symbol
> 
> Perhaps we should add a FAQ entry for these linker errors
> (which are caused by the mentioned C API changes to prevent
> mixing UCS version) ?!

There already is one:

http://www.python.org/doc/faq/extending/#when-importing-module-x-why-do-i-get-undefined-symbol-pyunicodeucs2

I wonder why it doesn't show up in the Google searches.

> Here's a quick way to determine you Python Unicode build type:
> 
> python -c "import sys;print((sys.maxunicode<66000)and'UCS2'or'UCS4')"
> 
> Perhaps we should include this info as well as an 32/64-bit indicator
> and the processor type in the Python startup line:
> 
> # python
> Python 2.6 (r26:66714, Feb  3 2009, 20:49:49, UCS4, 64-bit, x86_64)
> [GCC 4.3.2 [gcc-4_3-branch revision 141291]] on linux2
> Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
> 
> This would help users find the right binaries to install as
> extension.

Regards,
-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

Professional Python Services directly from the Source  (#1, Sep 28 2009)
>>> Python/Zope Consulting and Support ...        http://www.egenix.com/
>>> mxODBC.Zope.Database.Adapter ...             http://zope.egenix.com/
>>> mxODBC, mxDateTime, mxTextTools ...        http://python.egenix.com/
________________________________________________________________________

::: Try our new mxODBC.Connect Python Database Interface for free ! ::::


   eGenix.com Software, Skills and Services GmbH  Pastor-Loeh-Str.48
    D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany. CEO Dipl.-Math. Marc-Andre Lemburg
           Registered at Amtsgericht Duesseldorf: HRB 46611
               http://www.egenix.com/company/contact/