Following this discussion, I opened two issues: * https://bugs.python.org/issue32387: "Disallow untagged C extension import on major platforms" * https://bugs.python.org/issue32388: "Remove cross-version binary compatibility"
Regards Antoine. On Sat, 16 Dec 2017 14:22:57 +0100 Antoine Pitrou <solip...@pitrou.net> wrote: > Hello, > > Nowadays we have an official mechanism for third-party C extensions to > be binary-compatible accross feature releases of Python: the stable ABI. > > But, for non-stable ABI-using C extensions, there are also mechanisms > in place to *try* and ensure binary compatibility. One of them is the > way in which we add tp_ slots to the PyTypeObject structure. > > Typically, when adding a tp_XXX slot, you also need to add a > Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_XXX type flag to signal those static type structures > that have been compiled against a recent enough PyTypeObject > definition. This way, extensions compiled against Python N-1 are > supposed to "still work": as they don't have Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_XXX set, > the core Python runtime won't try to access the (non-existing) tp_XXX > member. > > However, beside internal code complication, it means you need to add a > new Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_XXX each time we add a slot. Since we have only 32 > such bits available (many of them already taken), it is a very limited > resource. Is it worth it? (*) Can an extension compiled against Python > N-1 really claim to be compatible with Python N, despite other possible > differences? > > (*) we can't extend the tp_flags field to 64 bits, precisely because of > the binary compatibility problem... > > Regards > > Antoine. > > _______________________________________________ Python-Dev mailing list Python-Dev@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-dev Unsubscribe: https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com