[Python-Dev] Re: Switching to VC.NET 2003

[Martin v. Loewis]

Paul Moore wrote:
> I don't know if Martin has already done this, but it needs doing. I'm
> not a distutils expert, but I am willing to look at it in the longer
> term.

I haven't changed any Python file at all in the process of compiling
with VC 7.1. However, Python (since 2.3) indicates the compiler used
to build it in sys.version; I believe this could be used as an
indication to find out whether it was build with VC6 or VC7.1 (dunno
whether it could also tell apart 7.0 and 7.1).

> If there wasn't a Windows binary version for 2.4 produced, this would
> cause me problems.

Python 2.4 is still months ahead, I expect more copies of VC 7.1 being
available by that time (unless Microsoft releases the next compiler
version before that - but they are unlikely to do so until the very
end of 2004).

> At the very least, I'd suggest a warning post on c.l.p and
> c.l.p.announce, something to the effect of "Python 2.4 will be built
> with MSVC 7.1. Extension developers supplying binary distributions for
> Windows will need some way of building MSVC 7.1 compatible modules
> (MSVC 7.1 itself, or a recent version of the free Mingw compiler
> package) to continue providing binries."

I expect the word will spread quickly; again, there is plenty of
time to prepare for that.

Regards,
Martin