[Python-Dev] Why is Python for Windows compiled with MSVC?

[Terry Reedy]

On 1/31/2018 10:04 AM, Oleg Sivokon wrote:

> Why did you choose to use non-free compiler, which also makes cross-compilation impossible?  There wasn't really a reason not to choose MinGW as

Python was ported to DOS years before the initial 1998 release of the 
mingw32 predecessor.  There has been some work to make Python also 
compile with MinGW, but AFAIK, no one has volunteered to persist in 
doing complete patch for MinGW.  You can look at the tracker to get some 
idea of what is missing.  I presume contributions are still allowed and 
welcome.

> a way to compile extensions on Windows (Ruby does that, Go uses MinGW, perhaps some others too).  It would've made things like CI and packaging so much easier...  What do Python users / developers get from using MSVC instead?

Timely access to all features added to Windows, such as 64 bit binaries. 
  Access to everything compiled with the compiler nearly everyone else 
uses.  Help to make Python work on DOS, now Windows, from people who 
only know and use Microsoft tools.

> communication and all information contained in or attached to it isconfidential, intended solely for the addressee,

Please omit this noise.  Posting to pydev is posting to the world, 
including multiple mirrors and repositories.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy