New versions breaking extensions, etc.

[Cameron Laird]

In article <1102771156.926467.134390 at f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
John Machin <sjmachin at lexicon.net> wrote:
>Jive wrote:
>> "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote in message
>> news:41BABC12.6080808 at v.loewis.de...
>> > OTOH, people who only have VC6 just need to buy VS.NET 2003,
>> > which is still available.
>>
>> I don't even know how to do that! :-)  What's the difference between
>VC++
>> .net Standard and Visual Studio .net Pro?  (Besides $370?)  Is the
>former
>> C++ only, but with the IDE, and the later the whole shebang with
>SourceSafe,
>> VBASIC, and all that?
>>
>> OH NO!  I've gone seriously off-topic.  Please don't call the Spanish
>> Inquisiton.  Allow me to re-phrase the question:  What do I need to
>build
>> (on-topic) Python extensions?
>
>Short answer to Jive's question: (1) free non-MS C compiler (either
>MinGW or Borland) (2) inner calm.
>
>I really can't understand what all the screaming and yelling is about.
>Windows Python is built using an MS compiler. Those extension
>developers who can't/won't buy the MS compiler use either the free
>MinGW compiler or the free Borland 5.5 compiler (or both!). Yes, you
			.
			.
			.
?  As I read your description, it obscures the existence of 
the free lcc and the no-charge Microsoft compilers <URL:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003/ > (along
with such other popular alternatives as Cygwin, the Intel
compiler, ...).

It's been years since I've tried any of these with Python.
They *ought* to work, though ...