[Python-Dev] pep 422 "Safe object finalization" question: why break weakrefs first?

[Russell E. Owen]

Pep 422 proposes the following order for dealing with cyclic isolates:

   1. Weakrefs to CI objects are cleared, and their callbacks called. At 
this point, the objects are still safe to use.
   2. The finalizers of all CI objects are called.
   3. The CI is traversed again to determine if it is still isolated. If 
it is determined that at least one object in CI is now reachable from 
outside the CI, this collection is aborted and the whole CI is 
resurrected. Otherwise, proceed.
   4. The CI becomes a CT as the GC systematically breaks all known 
references inside it (using the tp_clear function).

Why are weakrefs are broken first, before determining if any of the 
objects should become resurrected? Naively I would expect weakrefs to be 
broken after step 3, once the system is sure no objects have been 
resurrected.

I request that this information be added to PEP 422.

-- Russell