[Python-Dev] PyArg_ParseTuple format specifiers again

[Jack Jansen]

Hmm. I think that having separate PyArg_ParseTuple and 
PyArg_UncheckedParseTuple is absolute overkill. Also, I think the 
functionality of having the checks is a fine one, I was at the time grumbling 
about it being a backward-incompatible change, and moreover one that caused me 
a lot of work at a time that I had more than enough other things to do.

But now that the work is done I see no reason to revert it. If we'd want to do 
a complete set of arguments for each of 8, 16 and 32 bit integers we would 
have 3 specifiers: signed, unsigned and bitpattern. As it stands now we have:
	signed	unsign	bitpattern
8bit	-	b	-
16bit	h	H	-
32bit	-	-	l

(note the last one: 32bit values are in essence not checked because the parser 
happily stuffs 0xffffffff into a long).

What I would be happy with is to have "natural" (unsigned for char, signed for 
other types) and bitpattern, so
	natural	bitpattern
8bit	b	B
16bit	h	H
32bit	l	L

I agree about breaking L: it's there but in the standard distribution it isn't 
used a single time.
--
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