- E02 - Support for MinGW Open Source Compiler

[A.B., Khalid]

Pat wrote:
> There have been extensive discussions about these issues on the
> Python-Dev mailing list over the past couple of months (mostly in
> December, but continuing to the present - see
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2004-December/thread.html
> as a starting point), which seem to have fizzled out or at least
> haven't resolved much.  The discussions made reference to work that
has
> already been done to allow Python to be compiled with minGW:
>
> pyMinGW is a patch to Python source that aims to get Python to
compile
> under MinGW
>
> http://jove.prohosting.com/iwave/ipython/pyMinGW.html
>
> I've not seen any commentary on the quality of this patch, so that
> doesn't appear to be the reason it hasn't been officially adopted.
> Reading all the threads from Python-Dev has not enlightened me at all
> as to what the underlying reason is for not adopting these changes.
> Maybe there are good reasons, I just couldn't find them, and I'm
> usually pretty good with Google.


If passing all the regression tests of the official Windows Python
distribution is an indication of the quality of patch-- and pyMinGW
patched and MinGW built Python does pass all of them-- then one is
inclined to say that pyMinGW is a good patch.

The reason why it is, on the other hand, not included in the official
distribution is threefold.

1. Contrary to what many might imagine, I don't think enough people use
MinGW to frankly justify any extra effort beyond pyMinGW.
2. Given number 1 above, this patch, I believe, and I could be
mistaken, must not rush to be included in Python's core; people like
your esteemed person should test it (note that it is designed not to
interfere with your trusted and working official Python, if any); it is
only when enough people do such testing that there will be a case for
it to be included in Python's core.
3. Finally. there is nothing wrong with third-party patches if they get
the job done, which I believe is the case with pyMinGW.


Regards,
Khalid