[Python-Dev] API for the new sysconfig module

[Éric Araujo]

Hi,

Original discussion for the sysconfig module was short:
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2009-May/089520.html

Tarek will reply better, but I think the issue to solve was to move
sysconfig out of distutils, improving its API a bit in the process but
not overhauling it completely.  A single function returning a nested
dictionary could be added if deemed useful, but to me the existing API
separates concerns (paths and variables for example) without being
confusing nor having too many names.

Exceptions: get_python_version could be removed; get_scheme_names and
get_path_names could be replaced by constants.  Maybe Tarek chose
accessors to keep freedom for later, or just for consistency.

sysconfig being new in 2.7 and 3.2, I don’t know how compatibility
concerns apply.  I think it would be bad to have highlighted the new
module in 2.7 and then remove it in 3.2, since 2.6 and 2.7 have the goal
of helping people moving to 3.x.  Also, I don’t see where those 800
lines of code would live if the sysconfig module is removed; maybe in
platform, which is already long? (it could be made smaller with some
code modernization, removal of the popen function, but not much smaller).

Final note: with 3.2 being in beta, I don’t know how much can be changed
now.

> The old way required source code available ability at runtime, the new
> sysconfig module captures everything it needs at build time.
Not yet :)  See http://bugs.python.org/issue9878

Regards