[Python-ideas] Update the required C compiler for Windows to a supported version.

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Vernon D. Cole writes:

 > Before anyone starts flaming me about "off topic"

It's not off topic, and in fact there's a recent thread on python-dev
which touches on this:

https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2013-November/130421.html

(Sorry, a lot of the subthreads are irrelevant.  Look for the subthreads
with Steve Dower and Martin van Loewis posting to start.)

 > I cannot compile a Python extension module with any Microsoft compiler
 > I can obtain.

Your pain is understood, but it's not simple to address it.  There have
been many threads on this over the years.  The basic problem is that the
ABI changes.  Therefore it's going to require a complete new set of
*all* C extensions for Windows, and the duplication of download links
for all those extensions from quite a few different vendors is likely to
confuse a lot of users.