The "does Python have variables?" debate

[Rustom Mody]

On Friday, May 9, 2014 7:59:14 PM UTC+5:30, Chris Angelico wrote:
> The similarities and differences between the variable models are no
> more relevant. What becomes relevant are the PyObject* pointer (the C
> interface to a Python object (not variable)) and the various functions
> for manipulating namespaces, mainly dictionaries. If anything, you
> need to be more aware that Python and C variables are completely
> different beasts. CPython's C API [1] is fairly manual; you INCREF and
> DECREF objects, there's no concept of "automatic variables", etc etc
> etc. 

On the contrary, you need to respect the C system to get past the C compiler.
And you need to uphold the expected python invariants to get code that works.

So the variables inside the C functions are (as always in C) automatic
But they dont become easily and naturally such in python

Hence all the INCREF/ownership etc headaches

IOW one needs to have both worlds under one's belt

Of course one can use swig or boost or ctype and replace one headache with other(s)