[Python-Dev] Moving Python 3.5 on Windows to a new compiler

[Terry Reedy]

On 6/6/2014 9:13 PM, Donald Stufft wrote:
>
> On Jun 6, 2014, at 9:05 PM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

>> If you are suggesting that a Windows compiler change should be
>> invisible to non-Windows users, I agree.
>>
>> Let us assume that /pcbuild remains for those who have vc2008 and
>> that /pcbuild14 is added (and everything else remains as is). Then
>> the only other thing that would change is the Windows installer
>> released on Python.org. Call than 2.7.9W or whatever on the
>> download site and interactive startup message to signal that
>> something is different.

> How are packaging tools supposed to cope with this? AFAIK there is
> nothing in most of them to deal with a X.Y.Z release suddenly dealing
> with a different compiler.

For this option, packaging tools on Windows would have to gain a special 
rule to cope with a special, hopefully unique, not-to-be-repeated, 
series of releases. If VC2008 ceases to become available to those who do 
not already have it, and who machines do not break or get replaced, 
dealing with a different easily available compiler would be easier than 
dealing with having no compiler.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy