Re: ctypes 0.9.2 released

From: Ian Bicking (ianb_at_colorstudy.com)
Date: 10/29/04 

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 13:27:45 -0500
To: Just <just@xs4all.nl>

Just wrote:
>>One of the perceived strengths of Python is the fact that it
>>integrates well with the platforms it is running on, so it's not an
>>insulated box like Java.
>
>
> Another one of Pythons perceived strengths is that if you get a
> segfault, it's a bug in Python. With ctypes that will no longer be as
> clear.

It's always been the case that C extensions can cause segfaults. This
is just a tool for incorporating C extensions, without writing any extra
C. It even says "c" right in the name, which should cause a certain
amount of (justified) fear for anyone who knows what that means ;)

Having ctypes in the stdlib would be cool, because it would mean that
many C library extension could be installed with no compilation step,
since ctypes would already be compiled as part of the default install.
Assuming the C library was already installed, but typically C libraries
get packaged for distribution long before the associated Python
extension is packaged. 

-- 
Ian Bicking  /  ianb@colorstudy.com  /  http://blog.ianbicking.org

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