[Python-Dev] Documenting the ssize_t Python C API changes (original) (raw)

"Martin v. Löwis" martin at v.loewis.de
Tue Mar 21 16:22:21 CET 2006

M.-A. Lemburg wrote:

Interesting: A few mails ago you suggested that developers do exactly what I did to get the list of changes. Now you gripe about the output format of the grep.

Developers which use grep can read the output of grep. Developers which use other methods of searching (e.g. Visual Studio) can understand the output of these tools. I don't say they should search for Py_ssize_t, I said they can if they want to.

I still don't think anybody would want to read such a list.

I really don't understand what your problem is with documenting the work that you and others have put into this. Why is there so much resistance ?

Because I think it is pointless, confusing, and redundant in a dangerous way. There is absolutely NO problem with API changes where a function consumes Py_ssize_t. Why should anybody care that PyString_FromStringAndSize now consumes a Py_ssize_t? Passing an int works just fine, and if the int fits the length of the string, it will absolutely do the right thing. There is no need to touch that code, or worry about the change.

Putting PyString_FromStringAndSize into such a list will make developers worry, because they now think they have to change their code somehow, when there is absolutely for action.

Furthermore, it is redundant because there are now four places where the signature of the API is mentioned: in the header, in the implementation, in the API docs, and in the PEP. The compiler watches for consistency of the first two; consistency of the others is a manual process, and thus error-prone.

Regards, Martin

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