New versions breaking extensions, etc.

[Robert]

VS7 is a really a vastly different beastie than VS6.


On 12/10/04 9:31 PM, in article YZsud.624045$SM5.37639 at news.easynews.com,
"Jive" <someone at microsoft.com> wrote:

> Can someone explain to me why Python 2.4 on MS Windows has these backward
> compatibility problems?  What am I missing?  Why won't extensions compiled
> to run with 2.3 also work with 2.4?  Why does it matter whether a component
> was compiled with VC++ 6.0 or 7.1?  I've been using MS stuff for 6 years.
> Before I started using Python, I don't remember ever having a program tell
> me I had to use an OLDER version of something to make the program work.
> Newer, maybe, but older, never.   I had to revert to Python 2.3 because I
> have applications that will not run under Python 2.4.
> 
> Although I have been a full-time software developer since the late 70's, I
> don't know much about Microsoft stuff.  (Amazing trick that, eh?) But I've
> been reading some things on the MS web pages that say dot-NET and all that
> should NOT break existing stuff.
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/vclib/html/_crt_c_run.2d.time_librarie
> s.asp I
> don't pretend to understand it all, but certainly one would not expect MS to
> screw things up too badly on purpose.  The value of MS Windows lies in the
> applications that it can run.  That's part of the genius of the Evil Genius.
> He understood when others didn't that when Joe Blow in his basement develops
> a program to run under MS Windows, Joe Blow is making money for the E.G.,
> and it doesn't cost the E.G. a penny.
> 
> In my own small domain,  I cannot even consider coming out with new releases
> that are not drop-in replacements for what went before.  Customers won't go
> for it.   It's an absolute deal-breaker.
> 
> What puzzles me is that, apparently, the incompatibility of Python 2.4 and
> extensions built for 2.3 did not come as a nasty surprise.  I get the
> impression that it was expected.  Can someone explain that to me?
> 
> I hope this doesn't sound like I'm complaining.  I think Python is great.
> And the price can't be beat!
> 
>