[Python-Dev] VC++ 2008 Express Edition now locked away? (original) (raw)

Terry Reedy tjreedy at udel.edu
Thu Mar 7 00:32:30 CET 2013

On 3/6/2013 12:29 PM, Steve Dower wrote:

From: Case Van Horsen

The "Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1" is still available for download. It includes the command line compilers that are used with VS 2008. I have used to create extensions for Python 2.6 to 3.2. There is a later version of the SDK (for .NET 4.x) that includes the compilers from VS 2010. This is the same response that I got internally. The download link is http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3138 and you can choose to only download and install the compilers.

The C++ compiler appears to the the full compiler that will build both 32 and 64 bits apps. Will downloading just the compiler(s) allow one to build Python with the project files in PCBuild or does something else need to be checked also?

To use the SDK compiler, you need to do a few manual steps first.

After starting a command window, you need to run a batch file to configure your environment. Choose the appropriate option from C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin\vcvars64.bat or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin\vcvars32.bat Then set two environment variables: set MSSdk=1 set DISTUTILSUSESDK=1 After these steps, the standard python setup.py install should work.

This may be fine for building extensions, but it appears that more instructions are needed for a novice to build python itself.

Following the instruction in the developer's guide, http://docs.python.org/devguide/setup.html#windows I was able to download and install vc express, double click on /PCBuild/pcbuild.sln to bring up the VS GUI, and use the menu to build a debug version of that branch. The new python is put in the same directory and can be run with another menu selection. Any alternate path should be that easy too.

-- Terry Jan Reedy

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