[Python-Dev] Progress report on PEP 242

[Paul F. Dubois]

Thank you for your excellent critique of my example. I will consider your
comments carefully.

The standard C library defines some constants in math.h that give the
required information. I think the right thing to do is simply include all of
those using names that make an identifiable connection to the standard
quantities (I had five of them, but there are more). This begs the question
of what to do if you are implementing Python over something other than C but
the definitions in the standard C library are clear, so in principle this
can be done.

The default Python floating point kind would be the one used to return the
(floating) attributes when queried, since I can't rely on their being any
other such kind; i.e., a C double.

Naming is going to be confusing no matter what we do. We're starting with
Python "float" == C "double" == Numeric Float == typecode 'd'. We're
doomed...