Re: [gpsd-dev] Update on Python Version Compatibility

[Eric S. Raymond]

Fred Wright <address@hidden>:
> My original impression was that it's relevant even to top-level programs,
> but upon rereading the doc, I guess not.  But I don't see it in gps/,
> either.  This isn't about making it work, it's about setting it up so that
> any future change that accidentally relies on implicit relative imports
> fails the same way in Python 2 as it does in Python 3.

I understand, but I don't grasp the full ramifications of the feature.
I added the prefix dots required to make the gps/ module imports work under
Python 3; is anything else required?

> BTW, the concept of a "target Python" is needed to be able to build C
> extensions for Python 3, since they need to build with the right include
> files for Python 3, and simply getting the 'INCLUDEPY' config_var from the
> scons Python (guaranteed to be Python 2 for the time being) doesn't cut
> it.  For testing I just kludged in something to patch the value, but it
> will need something better to work for real.
> 
> This also means that the regression tests will *have* to use the target
> Python when targeting Python 3, unless there were a more elaborate scheme
> to provide multiple versions of the extensions.  I.e., gpsfake won't work
> with Python 2 if the packet module is built (only) for Python 3.

That much I understand.  I built the C extension modules for Python 2, but
that was quite a long time ago and I've forgotten a lot of the recipe.
-- 
                <a href="http://www.catb.org/~esr/";>Eric S. Raymond</a>