Dumb wxPython install question

[Alex Martelli]

"Dirk-Ulrich Heise" <hei at adtranzsig.de> wrote in message
news:8mu06q$quc$1 at desig-bs01-s04.adtranzsig.de...
> Hi!
> I'm happily using Boa constructor and wxPython on
> my machine at work, with Python1.5.2. (Windows NT)
>
> When trying the same at home with a Python 1.6a2,
> it fails to import wxPython. (it's a Win95 box)
>
> On both machines, wxPython is a subdirectory
> of the Python main directory.

And in that directory you'll find several .PYD files -- the
filetype which is given on Windows for DLL's that hold
Python extensions.  WXC.PYD the main one.

> I suspected it's because wxPython is an extension
> so i looked for *.lib and *.dll, but i can find none on
> both machines.

Right, no .LIB (that would only be for compiling and
linking C or C++ code), nor .DLL (named as such).


> Question: Is wxPython an extension module and what *.lib or
> *.dlls should be there? Or do they carry a different
> file extension? And, is it even possible to use the same
> wxPython installer for Py1.5.2 and Py1.6a2?

Unfortunately, AFAIK, wxPython currently supports no 1.6
release -- it has python15.dll hard-coded right in the build
instructions, and other dependencies.  On a separate thread,
you'll find my vicissitudes trying to build wxPython for 1.6b1
(the beta release, not the alpha 1.6a2 you're using; you should
upgrade to 1.6b1 now that it's out, but that's another issue).
There seems to be a SWIG bug that stops it working with 1.6
or later Python's, according to people who seem to know what
they're talking about.

So, anyway, no wxPython for 1.6 (or, later, for 2.0) until and
unless somebody fixes these various little issues, sigh.

The "Stubs" technique for extending/embedding Python on
Windows without strict dependency on a given DLL version,
which was suggested on yet another thread, sounds more and
more appealing as the troubles with 1.5 -> 1.6 ports emerge
(particularly with the perspective of another 1.6 -> 2.0 port
in the very near future...).  Python has been at 1.5.something
for so long (it had been there for a while when I first met it
and learned it) that we've all grown fat and lazy about it, but
now the 1.5 -> 1.6  -> 2.0 changes are coming...!-)


Alex