[Python-Dev] Re: .DLL vs .PYD search order

[James C. Ahlstrom]

"M.-A. Lemburg" wrote:
> 
> Greg Stein wrote:

> > I'd rather see the builtin machinery move to Python, regardless of what
> > system is used and/or what features are added.
> 
> In the long run that's probably the right direction, but right now
> we are only talking a very small set of additional features,
> which can easily be added to the existing code without too much
> fuzz.

I volunteer to write a Python archive in either Python or C.  In
fact I currently have prototypes for both.  But I have to agree
with Greg here.  I think a Python importer is the way to go.  The
C code is 300 lines mostly in import.c and parallel to existing code.
The Python archive is about 100 lines and is prettier, easy to read,
alter and re-use (obviously).

> Plus it won't slow things down, which is important since
> Python startup time is already an issue all by itself. The

I think archive files should be able to be fast, and should
help, not hurt, startup time.  Provided that the use of sys.path
is curtailed, os.readdir() is not needed, and the
specifications are not complicated.

Although archive files are my special concern, I realize that
imputil is not just about archives.

JimA