[Python-Dev] Python environment registration in the Windows Registry

[Steve Dower]

On 03Feb2016 1851, eryk sun wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 3, 2016 at 7:33 PM, Eric Snow <ericsnowcurrently at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just wanted to quickly point out another use of the WIndows registry
>> in Python: WindowsRegistryFinder [1].  This is an import "meta-path"
>> finder that locates modules declared (*not* defined) in the registry.
>> I'm not familiar with the Windows registry nor do I know if anyone is
>> using this finder.
>
> The "Modules" key (WindowsRegistryFinder in 3.3+ and previously
> PyWin_FindRegisteredModule) adds individual modules by subkey name,
> with the filepath in the default value (the filename can differ, but
> it can't use an arbitrary extension). The "PythonPath" and "Modules"
> keys both date back to Mark Hammond's Windows port in the mid 1990s.

Yep, essentially, I expect these keys that actually affect how Python 
works to remain under PythonCore, and continue not to be documented or 
recommended for general use. But I see no reason to deprecate or remove 
them.

Specialised situations that use these keys should continue to set them 
under PythonCore. I hope that is sufficiently implied by saying nothing 
about them in the PEP - I really don't want to have to be more explicit 
about it and I definitely do not want to actually name or list them in 
any way.

Cheers,
Steve