- E02 - Support for MinGW Open Source Compiler

[Pat]

Diez B. Roggisch wrote:
>
> >> Just out of curiousity: How many python extensions are you
planning to
> >> write?
> >
> > I estimate 10 to 100, depending on abstractional capabilities of
the
> > extension system.
> >
> >> And how many lines of pure python code have you written in your
life?
> >
> > 0 (zero).
>
> Awesome. Without any lines of code written, you have already
identified the
> areas where python lacks features that have to be overcome with
C-written
> extensions. As usual, I stand with my mouth agape over your
near-psychic
> abilities to analyze even the complexest matters without any actual
> fiddling with the nitty gritty details.

If you put yourself into the shoes of someone who decides to use a
Python product that requires compiling, and that product contains C
extensions that also need compiling, you'll see that it doesn't matter
whether or not that individual has actually written a single line of
Python themselves.  If the compiling process is not easy, then that
user will be forced to fiddle with nitty gritty details about which
they'd rather remain ignorant.

On Linux, I've installed and used/compiled products in a variety of
languages in which I've never written a single line of source code
myself.  In most cases the process works fairly well.  When it doesn't,
I'm forced to fiddle with nitty gritty details about which I'd rather
remain ignorant.  The result is usually a good deal of frustration and
anger on my part.

On Windows, most users are used to installing precompiled binary
packages, rather than compiling from source.  When you do have to
compile from source, it often requires you to fiddle with nitty gritty
details about which you'd rather remain ignorant.  The less fiddling
required, the happier the user will be, and the easier it will be for
that product to get adopted on that platform.  No psychic abilities are
required.  No Python abilities are required, either, for that matter.
;-)

--
Patrick K. O'Brien
Orbtech    http://www.orbtech.com
Schevo     http://www.schevo.org
Pypersyst  http://www.pypersyst.org