[Python-Dev] Re: [Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Include co mpile.h,2.38,2.39 parsetok.h,2.19,2.20 pyerrors.h,2.63,2.64 pythonrun.h,2 .55,2.56 symtable.h,2.10,2.11

[Steve Holden]

> [Martin]
> > > OTOH, there are more places left that should accept const strings, but
> > > don't, and I was certainly not out to fix them all. Instead, doing it
> > > on user request only seems right to me. In the long run, we get happy
> > > users because of such changes, which should be weighed against the few
> > > unhappy developers that now have to silence compiler warnings :-)
>
> [MAL]
> > I would accept that point if you could demonstrate a single
> > case where the const nature of the filename actually does any
> > good for the *user*.
>
> Well, it depends how you define "user".  When working on win32all, I am a
> developer.  However, when knocking up a simple little extension for Python
> for some silly reason, I feel more like a user.
>
> I'm with Martin on this on; these strings should be const.  It has bitten
me
> *lots* of times.  Sometimes as I am implementing someone elses API, am
> passed a "const char *", but can't simply pass it to Python API functions
> that clearly treat the string as const.  Similarly, I tend to personally
use
> const for my own APIs where possible, so often I do this just to find my
> const-ness getting in the way.
>
> I haven't been very vocal about it as I see both side of the const
> argument - but personally lean towards the "const is good" camp.
>
> > BTW, how can I silence warnings when writing C code that's
> > supposed to compiler with Python 2.1 and 2.3 ? (passing const char *
> > to a char * API doesn't work for obvious reasons)
>
> This won't be a problem - continue to personally ignore the "const"
> qualifier.  Then you are passing non-const strings to both the non-const
2.2
> and the const 2.3.
>
> It is only a problem if you want to take advantage of const - and if you
> object in principle, you probably won't <wink>.  For the rest of us we
just
> gotta make the same decision we do these days about Python 1.5 etc - and
> that probably means generally ignoring it for a few years too.
>
> Mark.

Folks: I'm just reposting the latest contribution to this thread in an
attempt to stop the messages from appearing as attachments. Don't know
whether it will work, or why it was happening in the first place

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Steve Holden                                  http://www.holdenweb.com/
Python Web Programming                 http://pydish.holdenweb.com/pwp/
Previous .sig file retired to                    www.homeforoldsigs.com
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