[issue40570] len(platform.uname()) has changed in Python 3.9

[Marc-Andre Lemburg]

Marc-Andre Lemburg <mal at egenix.com> added the comment:

Ok, let me add some more context: When I wrote the uname interface
I was aware that calling the API will take some resources. That's
why I added the cache. IMO, that was enough as optimization.

Now, you added a late binding optimization for the whole uname return
tuple to save the effort of going out to the system and figure our
the value using separate APIs or even shell access.

I think this would have been better implemented in the various
uname() consumers
(https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/77c614624b6bf2145bef69830d0f499d8b55ec0c/Lib/platform.py#L898
and below), using a variant of the uname() API, say _uname(),
which leaves out the processor information for those APIs which don't
need it and only provide the late binding in processor() (which could
then also fill in the cache value for uname().

The uname() API would then still do the full lookup, but applications
could then use the specialized API to query only the information
they need.

I don't think that deprecating standard tuple access is an option
for the uname() return value, since it's documented to be a tuple.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

Professional Python Services directly from the Experts (#1, May 09 2020)
>>> Python Projects, Coaching and Support ...    https://www.egenix.com/
>>> Python Product Development ...        https://consulting.egenix.com/
________________________________________________________________________

::: We implement business ideas - efficiently in both time and costs :::

   eGenix.com Software, Skills and Services GmbH  Pastor-Loeh-Str.48
    D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany. CEO Dipl.-Math. Marc-Andre Lemburg
           Registered at Amtsgericht Duesseldorf: HRB 46611
               https://www.egenix.com/company/contact/
                     https://www.malemburg.com/

----------

_______________________________________
Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue40570>
_______________________________________