Python 2.4 vs Python 2.5 and System vs MacPorts python

[Ronald Oussoren]

On 22 Feb, 2007, at 20:29, Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:

> This has been an interesting conversation, particularly given some  
> of the comments from folks claiming they're facing this scenario in  
> commercial / support scenarios where products are based on  
> (presumably forwards incompatible) Python version x and unable to  
> migrate to Python version y.   Do such people simply bundle Python  
> with their applications (I've seen that approach used) or do they  
> rely in Framework versioning support?

I bundle the python framework with applications, anyone that uses  
py2app will get that functionality for free when he's not using the  
system version of python.

> That's mostly good for backwards compatibility but pretty hosed for  
> forwards compatibility since Apple didn't really take the Framework  
> approach to its fullest and there's really no way to say "I want - 
> framework Foo versionX" at the link stage, compiling newer stuff  
> against older bits (you pretty much have to go to the trouble of  
> keeping back-rev'd copies of MacOSX around for hosting your  
> builds).   How does MacPorts help people with this, or does it?

That's not entirely true, you can explicitly link with the dylib  
inside the framework. That is, '-framework Python' is the same as  
linking with /Library/Framework/Python.framework/Versions/Current/ 
Python. It's not as easy as linking a framework, especially when  
doing this from Xcode, but it's not very hard either.

>
> I ask because we're likely going to go with Python 2.5 for Leopard  
> (not in the seeds yet, but soon) and there's still time to rethink  
> that decision if it's really going to hose people.

I'm +1 on Python2.5 in Leopard.

Ronald