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

[Steve Dower]

Greg Ewing wrote:
> Nick Coghlan wrote:
>> That assumption will allow MinGW-w64 to link with the appropriate
>> MSVCRT versions for extention building without anything breaking.
>
> If that works, then the same technique should allow CPython itself to be built
> in a VS-compatible way with mingw, shouldn't it?
>
> Those objecting to a mingw-built python seem to be assuming that such a thing
> will necessarily be incompatible with VS builds, but I don't see why that has to
> be the case.

That's true, and a good point that I missed. However, the main (practical) desire for building CPython with something other than VS seems to be to avoid having to be compatible with VS.

It's entirely possible that having two alternative builds of CPython would force everyone to be more compatible, but I think it's more likely to simply end up being two different worlds. Maybe I'm being unnecessarily cynical :)

Cheers,
Steve

> --
> Greg