[Python-Dev] Status of C compilers for Python on Windows

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:59:52 +0000 (UTC)
Sturla Molden <sturla.molden at gmail.com> wrote:
> Antoine Pitrou <solipsis at pitrou.net> wrote:
> 
> > But you can compile OpenBLAS with one compiler and then link it to
> > Python using another compiler, right? There is a single C ABI.
> 
> BLAS and LAPACK are actually Fortran, which does not have a single C ABI.
> The ABI depends on the Fortran compiler. g77 and gfortran will produce
> different C ABIs. This is a consistent source of PITA  in any scientific
> programming that combines C and Fortran.

But is that CPython's fault? I don't think so.

> Another thing is that libraries are different. MSVC wants a .lib file, but
> MinGW produces .a files like GCC does on Linux.

It sound like whatever MSVC produces should be the defacto standard
under Windows.

If Microsoft released a (GNU/)Linux compiler which produced
incompatible library files, I don't think anyone would regard them very
highly.

Regards

Antoine.