[Python-Dev] PEP 3149 thoughts

["Martin v. Löwis"]

> If it's useful on unix like systems, why shouldn't it be useful on
> windows? Multiple versions of python can be installed on windows
> too. And people might also like to share their packages between
> installations.

Multiple versions of Python install into distinct directories, so
extension modules don't conflict. There is currently no provision
for a central directory where Python packages get installed on Windows
across Python versions, so the main motivation for the PEP doesn't
exist.

The secondary motivation, to have both debug and non-debug versions
of an extension module in the same folder, is already provided by
the _d.pyd mechanism on Windows (which was introduced before the PEP
process was established).

Of course, somebody could come along and propose that extension
modules should install into "\Program Files\Common\Python3"
(say), and that Python versions starting from 3.3 (or so) should
include that directory in their search path by default. IMO, that
would be a separate PEP, and I would hope that *if* such a location
is established, the PEP 3149 motivation is not relevant anymore,
since extension modules installed into such a location might use
the stable ABI, anyway.

Regards,
Martin