How to install Python package from source on Windows

[Michael Torrie]

On 05/17/2017 01:32 PM, bartc wrote:
> Sometimes, if there's a problem. But usually the code is doing something 
> sensible. The stuff in configure is complete gobbledygook (if anyone 
> doesn't believe me, just have look).

Well trying to edit an executable in a disassembler would look like
gobligook as well.  configure is a generated script from a compiler
called autoconf.  It is compiled from some high-level macros that are
somewhat easier to understand.  The system is convenient because we can
abstract away differences in target OS platforms more easily.

> It is impossible that all this is needed just to figure out what
> source files need to be compiled. (If it generated CPython sources
> fractal-style, then I might be impressed, but doesn't.)

What a wonderful simplification!  But yes, you're essentially correct.
All this gobbligook figures out how to best configure the features and
options you require, determines whether your system has the required
compilers and libraries, figures out what source files should be
compiled, and calculates the order in which to build the source files.
All of things things are very important. I'd rather have this and keep
my build times down to seconds and minutes than have to recompile all
million lines of code for just one change.

I admit autoconf is hard to wrap my head around, hard to use as a
programmer, and even harder to extend to handle new libraries and new
compilers.

You'd probably find scons more to your liking, and Qt's QMake facilities
are very nice and simple, and cross-platform.  But all of these generate
Makefiles, which would likely be considered unnecessary gobbligook to
you, I suspect.