[Python-Dev] VS 2010 compiler

[Chris Barker - NOAA Federal]

As I understand it, the MS VS2010 compiler is required (or at least
best practice) for compiling Python extensions for the python.org
Windows builds of py 3.4 and ?[1]

However, MS now makes it very hard (impossible?) to download VS2010
Express ( or Community, or whatever the free as in beer version is
called).

I realize that this is not python-dev's responsibility, but if there
is any way to either document where it can be found, or put a bit of
pressure on MS to make it available, as they have for VS2008 and
py2.7, that would be great.

Sorry to bug this list, I didn't know where else to reach out to.

-Chris

[1] it's actually prefer hard to find out which compiler version is
used for which python version. And has been for years. Would a patch
to the docs, probably here:

https://docs.python.org/3.4/using/windows.html#compiling-python-on-windows

Be considered?