[python-win32] Suggestions for a unicode build

[Tim Roberts]

Roger Upole wrote:
> Mark suggested that I get some feedback from the community regarding
> some of the issues involved in creating a Unicode build of win32api.
>
> Some functions already allow you to call the ansi or wide-character version,
> such as FormatMessage/FormatMessageW.  This leaves some ambiguity
> as to how they should behave in a Unicode build.
> Some options:
>     Have only FormatMessage, calling FormatMessageW
>     Leave both FormatMessage and FormatMessageW, both calling
>         FormatMessagW (this would probably be the most backward compatible)
>     Have FormatMessage as unicode and also add FormatMessageA in case
>         there's a need to explicitely call the ansi function.
>   

4. Have FormatMessage always call FormatMessageW and supply the MSLU DLL
for Win98. That is probably the best option for performance, since the
number of ANSI-only platforms is so low now.

> It may also be possible to release the module in both wide-character and
> ansi.
> The question here:  Is it worth the trouble ?
>   

In my opinion, no.

> Another issue is whether or not to remove obsolete functions, specifically
> the functions that deal with .ini files.  (WriteProfileSection,
> WriteProfileVal, etc)
> Technically, they've been obsolete since win95, but that doesn't mean noone
> uses them.
>   

I don't think Microsoft has ever documented them as obsolete.  In fact,
there was an article in MSDN Magazine just two years ago showing how to
use the profile functions from .NET code, and recommending their use
over the registry for user-specifiable parameters.

Now, it's true that it is easy to write a Python module to parse INI
files, but I don't think it's really necessary to take any action at all
here.  The profile functions still work, so let's keep using them.

-- 
Tim Roberts, timr at probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.