[Python-Dev] Python initialization and embedded Python

[Serhiy Storchaka]

18.11.17 02:01, Victor Stinner пише:
> Many global variables used by the "Python runtime" were move to a new
> single "_PyRuntime" variable (big structure made of sub-structures).
> See Include/internal/pystate.h.
> 
> A side effect of moving variables from random files into header files
> is that it's not more possible to fully initialize _PyRuntime at
> "compilation time". For example, previously, it was possible to refer
> to local C function (functions declared with "static", so only visible
> in the current file). Now a new "initialization function" is required
> to must be called.
> 
> In short, it means that using the "Python runtime" before it's
> initialized by _PyRuntime_Initialize() is now likely to crash. For
> example, calling PyMem_RawMalloc(), before calling
> _PyRuntime_Initialize(), now calls the function NULL: dereference a
> NULL pointer, and so immediately crash with a segmentation fault.

Wouldn't be better to revert (the part of) global variables moving?
I still don't see a benefit of it.

> To give a more concrete example: Py_DecodeLocale() is the recommanded
> function to decode bytes from the operating system, but this function
> calls PyMem_RawMalloc() which does crash before
> _PyRuntime_Initialize() is called. Is Py_DecodeLocale() used to
> initialize Python?
> 
> For example, "void Py_SetProgramName(wchar_t *);" expects a text
> string, whereas main() gives argv as bytes. Calling
> Py_SetProgramName() from argv requires to decode bytes... So use
> Py_DecodeLocale()...
> 
> Should we do something in Py_DecodeLocale()? Maybe crash if
> _PyRuntime_Initialize() wasn't called yet?

I think Py_DecodeLocale() should be usable before calling 
Py_Initialize(). In the example in Doc/extending/extending.rst it is 
used before Py_Initialize(). If the third-party code is based on this 
example, it will crash now.