Windows versions of Python---pros and cons?

[John Roth]

"Tom Loredo" <loredo at astro.cornell.edu> wrote in message
news:3D110B55.4D8AD7FA at astro.cornell.edu...
>
> Hi folks-
>
> I've been using Python heavily on a Solaris box and a Mac for a
> few years now.  For reasons I'll spare you from, I now am venturing
> into Windows territory (a Dell Inspiron 7500 laptop, if that matters).
> I see at least two Windows versions of Python---that at Python.org,
> and the ActiveState version.  The obvious "pro" for the ActiveState
> version is simplicity of the install (batteries included, etc.).
> But what about after that?  Are their substantial differences between
> the versions that I will bump into down the line?  In particular,
> I write many C extensions; can one use distutils and the Borland
> or gcc free compilers to build C extensions in both versions?
>
> Thanks for your patience and advice for this PythonWin newbie!
>
> -Tom Loredo

You should be able to use any compiler you want to - .dll's are
supposed to be language neutral, at least in the low level sense
of accessing them. As another poster pointed out, you might have
some problems with object files, since they aren't necessarily
compatible between different vendor's products.

John Roth