Re: Python 3

Helmut Jarausch wrote:
> I've just noticed that there is currently a thread on the Python3k
> mailing list about C-extensions.

For a bit of background, the original poster on that thread is Haoyu Bai
who is doing a Google Summer of Code project to add python 3.0 support
to SWIG.  I'm his mentor, and have general, but not deep, SWIG and
Python knowledge. We're currently waiting for replies from the
python-3.0 developers on that thread.

> It looks as if SWIG needs some functionality which isn't
> available any longer, e.g.
...
> Essentially a descriptor type with a suitable __get__, right?  And
> C-coded if it needs to be that fast. Is this a SWIG-specific issue (so
> that SWIG can take care of it in the C code it generates or links) or
> sufficiently general to warrant an addition to the Python core?
> Instinctively I think the latter, but can't easily think of another
> usecase beyond SWIG (and perhaps similar tools such as Boost or SIP).

I'm not yet convinced that python 3.0 doesn't have the appropriate
handling - I think it may just be that the "new" module has been
deprecated because there are now suitable alternatives available in
different ways.  However, we've not yet been able to work out what those
ways are - hopefully a python 3.0 developer will enlighten us soon!

-- 
Richard