[Python-Dev] mmap

[Mark Hammond]

[Greg writes]
> The main problem with Perl's I/O abstraction layer is that extension
> modules now have to call e.g. PerlIO_open(), PerlIO_printf(), etc. in
> place of their stdio counterparts.  Surprise surprise, many extension

Interestingly, Python _nearly_ suffers this problem now.  Although Python
does use native FILE pointers, this scheme still assumes that Python and
the extensions all use the same stdio.

I understand that on most Unix system this can be taken for granted.
However, to be truly cross-platform, this assumption may not be valid.  A
case in point is (surprise surprise :-) Windows.  Windows has a number of C
RTL options, and Python and its extensions must be careful to select the
one that shares FILE * and the heap across separately compiled and linked
modules.  In-fact, Windows comes with an excellent debug version of the C
RTL, but this gets in Python's way - if even one (but not all) Python
extension attempts to use these debugging features, we die in a big way.

and-dont-even-talk-to-me-about-Windows-CE ly,

Mark.