RELEASED Python 2.3.4, release candidate 1

[Roger Binns]

Hornberger, Chris wrote:
> > WINDOWS
> > ... Windows users may also be
> > interested in Mark Hammond's win32all, a collection of
> > Windows-specific extensions including COM support and Pythonwin, an
> > IDE built using Windows components.
> >
>
> PS... I have moral and ethical arguments against this. I believe it's just plain WRONG to use a language like Python or Java or
> even C#/.NET and RELY on platform specific "extensions".

That may be the case for code you write.  But your morals and ethics don't
apply to code I write.  And win32all isn't a mandatory download.

You also ignore the fact that Python includes UNIX specific extensions.
For example it includes the UNIX process creation stuff (fork, exec)
and UNIX serial port stuff (ioctl, fcntl).  On Windows, you have to get
the equivalent from win32all.  And if you happen to use a Mac, or an
AS/400 then they need platform specific stuff as well.

win32all also includes APIs to manage dial up connections.  There is
no equivalent API under UNIX.  So should everyone ignore stuff that
isn't the lowest common denominator?

Roger