Building CPython

[Terry Reedy]

On 5/13/2015 3:36 PM, BartC wrote:
> I'm interested in playing with the CPython sources. I need to be able to
> build under Windows, but don't want to use make files (which rarely work
> properly), nor do a 6GB installation of Visual Studio Express which is
> what seems to be needed (I'm hopeless with complicated IDEs anyway).

Once installed hg or tortoisehg (I use this) and VSE are installed and 
repository cloned, are half done. At command prompt, with top directory 
of repository as current directory enter
tools\scripts\external.bat
Double-clicking file in Explorer does not work.
Usually only needs to be done once per branch after x.y.0 release as 
dependencies are usually not updated for bugfix releases.

Then in same directory enter
pcbuild\python.sln
or double click in Explorer or open VSE and open this file.
Hit F7, wait until get line like
========== Build: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 24 up-to-date, 1 skipped,
hit F5, pin python_d to taskbar (optional, but handy), and go.

And read devguide.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy