[Python-Dev] Stabilizing the C API of 2.6 and 3.0 (original) (raw)

M.-A. Lemburg mal at egenix.com
Mon May 26 15:29:07 CEST 2008

On 2008-05-25 16:59, Christian Heimes wrote:

Hello!

The first set of betas of Python 2.6 and 3.0 is fast apace. I like to grab the final chance and clean up the C API of 2.6 and 3.0. I know, I know, I brought up the topic two times in the past. But this time I mean it for real! :] Last time Guido said: --- I think it can actually be simplified. I think maintaining binary compatibility between 2.6 and earlier versions is hopeless anyway, so we might as well just rename PyString to PyBytes in 2.6 and 3.0, and have an extra set of macros so that code using PyString needs to be recompiled but not otherwise touched. E.g. typedef { ... } PyBytesObject; #define PyStringObject PyBytesObject ... PyStringType; #define PyBytesType PyStringType --- I like to follow Guido's advice and change the code as following: * replace PyBytes with PyByteArray * replace PyString with PyBytes * rename bytesobject.[ch] to bytearrayobject.[ch] * rename stringobject.[ch] to bytesobject.[ch] * add a new file stringobject.h which contains the aliases PyString -> PyBytes

Since this is major break in the Python C API, please make sure that you bump the Python C API level used for module imports.

Most imports will fail anyway at the link stage, since PyString_* APIs are probably the most used C APIs in Python extensions.

One detail, I'm worried about is the change of the type name, since that is sometimes used in object serialization or proxy implementations.

-- Marc-Andre Lemburg eGenix.com

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