[Python-Dev] Preventing 1.5 extensions crashing under 1.6/2.0 Python

[Mark Hammond]

> > This is where we are now.  I agree that we should not crash,
> > but it seems to me you havent solved anything - individual
> > .pyd authors needing to tell users about each individual
> > .pyd isnt a solution.

> 	At least if Python can detect that a .PYD is out of date you know
> 	to ask for a newer .PYD or build it yourself. A crash is bad PR for
> 	the .PYD and Python.

We all agree on this - hence this discussion.  My point was that I'm not
clear how the proposal moved us closer to this goal.

> > > True.  And on Windows, there is a standard Version resource
> > > string which gives the DLL version, and can be read without
> > > loading the DLL.  This string is referenced by the Wise (and
> > > other) installers to decide whether a DLL is newer and should
> > > be replaced.
> >
> > Im not sure how this helps us.  Do you mean that "initfoo"
> > should use the Windows resource/version APIs to determine
> > if it can load?

> 	As I pointed out you cannot use Py calls from a .PYD to find out
> 	the version as the .PYD calls the function in the old PYTHON15.DLL
> 	not the new one.

Firstly, this doesn't answer my question, so I'm not sure why you needed to
restate this assertion.  I can only assume that the answer to my question,
in your opinion, is "yes"?

Secondly, I'm not sure why this is a problem.  Sure, we can't use the
version number, but the extension could, for example, call
Py_IsInitialized() - this is likely to be a good indication if our linked
DLL is the "correct" one for this process.

The problem is not intractable - someone who cares enough should put
together a patch, test it, and submit it.

Talk-is-cheap-ly,

Mark.