About SSL tests

An open bug about missing SSL tests (#451607) was brought up to close or keep open. Jean-Paul Calderone mentioned an improved testing method by spawning a 'openssl s_server' for testing purposes. This sparked some talk about the terminating of subprocesses in a cross-platform manner (See Cross-Platform Subprocess Termination).

Contributing thread:

• About SSL tests

Cross-Platform Subprocess Termination

Because os.kill only works on nix and OS X platforms, leaving Windows platforms uncovered. Although subprocess.TerminateProcess exists for Windows platforms, it requires the use of handles and additional overhead for use. Support was overall given for adding a UNIX-only signal() method and a cross- platform terminate() method to Popen instances. Nothing was said of actually incorporating these changes into the subprocess module, although code was given.

This was mixed in with the above thread.

Extended buffer protocol

Updates to the buffer protocol are discussed, along with the proposal pre-PEP documenting the updates for Python 3000, but brought to Python-Dev, due so the plans of backporting to 2.6 afterwards.

(Note: I couldn't summarize this well enough to cover much of it do any real degree, but it is currently a Py3k issue, so maybe that is OK. If no one wants to add to the summary, it will stay short.)

Contributing threads:

• Extended buffer PEP
• PEP 3118: Extended buffer protocol (new version)
• Extended Buffer Protocol - simple use examples

function for counting items in a sequence

A patch was submitted by Steven Bethard (http://bugs.python.org/1696199), implemented a discussed collections.counts() function to provide a mapping between items in an iterable and the number of times they appear. There were suggested names, but none overthrew the original 'counts()' and a question of items not appearing being counted as 0 or raising a KeyError, with 0 winning due to a just-makes-sense factor.

Contributing thread:

• function for counting items in a sequence

context manager - generator interaction?

A problem was brought up with iterator context managers and iteration inside the with-block raising its StopIteration, but being caught by the context manager mechanics. It was also responded that the problem would not exist without the use of overly broad try blocks, and this lead to the addition of a formal note in PEP 8 about keeping narrow try blocks.

Contributing thread:

• context manager - generator interaction?

proposed which.py replacement

Suggestion of replacing the which.py script in the Tools directory migrated to its proposal for inclusion into the standard library. A patch and tests have yet to be provided.

Contributing thread:

• proposed which.py replacement

minidom and DOM level 2

What is missing for DOM Level 2 support in minidom was highlighted and some work jumpstarted.

Contributing thread:

• minidom and DOM level 2

test_pty.py hangs in verbose mode on Mac OS X?

Differing buffering behavior was causing test_pty to block only in verbose mode. Solutions may include reading to clear the buffer of child processes before a waitpid() call.

Contributing thread:

• test_pty.py hangs in verbose mode on Mac OS X?

HTTP Responses and Errors

In 2xx HTTP responses mean that the request was handled OK. The existing library was special-casing the most common responses and treating others as errors. After verifying that there wasn't a good reason for the old behavior, Facundo Batista fixed it.

Contributing thread:

• HTTP responses and errors

Build Problem on Windows

It is a generated file; the actual problem is in make_buildinfo

Contributing thread:

• build problem on windows: unable to find getbuildinfo2.c

BaseException Pickle Issue

Exceptions are now new-style classes; this caused some obscure problems with picking and unpickling.

http://www.python.org/sf/1498571

and later

http://www.python.org/sf/1692335

should resolve the issue.

Contributing thread:

• BaseException pickle issue

Deprecating BaseException.message

Plans changed; BaseException will still accept an args tuple, so don't bother with the .message attribute. Probably the shortest leaved Python feature ever. See PEP 352.

Contributing thread:

• deprecating BaseException.message

Changes to decimal.py

The external standard has been updated; python's implementation will be updated to match.

Contributing threads:

• Changes to decimal.py
• Fwd: Re: Changes to decimal.py

Pydoc Rewrite Discussion at doc-sig list

An announcement that the (normally quiet) doc-sig mailing list would be discussing a rewrite of pydoc. http://mail.python.org/pipermail/doc-sig/

Contributing thread:

• Pydoc Rewrite Discussion at doc-sig list.

Making builtins more efficient

Andrea Griffini posted a patch at sourceforge that makes builtin lookups almost as fast as locals.

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=305470&aid=1616125&group_id=5470

Contributing thread:

• Making builtins more efficient

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