[Python-Dev] Poll: Py_REPLACE/Py_ASSIGN/etc

[emm.odeke at gmail.com]

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  Original Message  
From: Barry Warsaw
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2014 3:50 PM
To: python-dev at python.org
Subject: Re: [Python-Dev] Poll: Py_REPLACE/Py_ASSIGN/etc

On Mar 01, 2014, at 08:15 AM, Nick Coghlan wrote:

>It *is* playing refcounting games - it's decrefing the existing target
>while stealing a reference to the new target, just like the existing
>SET_ITEM macros and somewhat like Py_CLEAR (although in that case, it's
>more obvious that we will never incref NULL).

Okay, but "setting the reference" isn't one of them, which is what I read when
I see Py_SETREF. ;)

>The whole point of this macro is to take an *existing* reference and safely
>*overwrite* another existing reference, exactly as the SET_ITEM macros do.
>
>That actually gives me an idea that wasn't on Serhiy's original list:
>Py_SET_ATTR(target, value).

That does seem better.
-Barry