Python on 64 bit/IA-64 ...

[Bill Tutt]

> From: Fredrik Lundh [mailto:effbot at telia.com]
> 
> 
> Shiv Shankar Ramakrishnan <Shiv at pspl.co.in> wrote:
> > |Python should run out of a box on any IA-64 Unix; activestate is
> > |working on a Win64 port.
> > |
> > |(afaik, the current CVS version builds and runs under Win64)
> >
> > Is this available publicly? I mean is there at least a read only CVS
> > access? I couldn't seem to find anything on their site.
> 
> I wasn't clear; it's in the official Python CVS repository:
> http://www.python.org/download/cvs.html
> 
> > |it's platform/tool dependent.  all sane platforms use LP64.
> > |microsoft doesn't.
> >
> > Yes I know. I was more worried about P64 platforms. Any 
> idea which are
> > the other insane :) 64 platforms if any? I think maybe 
> Solaris also uses
> > a 32 bit long. Or is that due to the fact that I saw that 
> under maybe a
> > 32 bit only compiler?
> 
> probably.
> 
> the Single Unix Specification requires ILP32 or LP64, so if it's
> using some other 64-bit variant, it sure aint Unix(r).
> 
> > |in CPython, a python int is a C long, which means that it's 64 bits
> > |on any sane 64-bit platform.   a python float is always a C double.
> >
> > If only everyone in the world was sane :) Unfortunately the 
> way MS has
> > gone, 64bit crossplatform development with Windows also in 
> mind is going
> > to be a little bit of work.
> 
> exactly -- I'm usually not microsoft basher, but this one
> really annoys me...
> 

To be fair the Win64 decision of sizeof(void *) > sizeof(long) makes perfect
sense given Microsoft's goal of making porting Win32 code to Win64 as easy
as possible. Easing porting of Win32 code to Win64 code can easily be seen
as a higher priority (for Microsoft) than easing the porting of 64-bit Unix
applications to Win64. 

Bill
Not a MS PR person, decision maker, or anything else interesting wrt MS's
corporate policy