[Python-Dev] Compiler for the Mac OS X version of Python 3.4

[Ned Deily]

In article <87wqme3v3m.fsf at uwakimon.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp>,
 "Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen at xemacs.org> wrote:
> Skip Montanaro writes:
>  > > That's why I get my Python (for Snow Leopard) from MacPorts.
>  > Unless things have changed, that probably doesn't support Mac-specific
>  > stuff, does it?
> You mean in the Python port or in general?  MacPorts supports
> Mac-specific APIs in a number of ports where upstream does.
> 
> In Python, I don't know.  I would assume that anything python.org
> supports is supported by MacPorts, though.

Yes, there are no significant differences in feature support between a 
python.org Python and a MacPorts-supplied Python or a Homebrew-supplied 
Python or a Fink-supplied Python.  If you are doing any sort of a 
hard-core Python development work that requires the use of third-party C 
libraries et al, you are probably better off using a complete solution, 
including Python, from one of the above big-three package managers for 
OS X.  If you need to support multiple versions of OS X, IME, MacPorts 
does the best job of supporting older versions (I have up-to-date 
MacPorts installations on OS X 10.4 through 10.9).

But the primary mission for python.org installers is somewhat different: 
provide up-to-date, easy-to-install, batteries-included Pythons for 
users who are not necessarily experienced with Python itself.  People 
who need development environments with significant third-party libraries 
not included with Python or OS X itself are often better served by 
either investing in the time to set up and become familiar with using 
one of the general open source distributors (MacPorts, Homebrew, et al) 
or by using a specialized Python distribution (e.g. for scientific 
users).

-- 
 Ned Deily,
 nad at acm.org