I modified this patch some by fixing style, some error checking, and adding
XXX comments. This patch requires review and some changes are to be expected.
I'm checking in now to get the greatest possible review and establish a
baseline for moving forward. I don't want this to hold up release if possible.
In C++, it's an error to pass a string literal to a char* function
without a const_cast(). Rather than require every C++ extension
module to put a cast around string literals, fix the API to state the
const-ness.
I focused on parts of the API where people usually pass literals:
PyArg_ParseTuple() and friends, Py_BuildValue(), PyMethodDef, the type
slots, etc. Predictably, there were a large set of functions that
needed to be fixed as a result of these changes. The most pervasive
change was to make the keyword args list passed to
PyArg_ParseTupleAndKewords() to be a const char *kwlist[].
One cast was required as a result of the changes: A type object
mallocs the memory for its tp_doc slot and later frees it.
PyTypeObject says that tp_doc is const char *; but if the type was
created by type_new(), we know it is safe to cast to char *.
Rewrote Py_RETURN_{NONE, TRUE, FALSE} to expand to comma expressions
rather than "do {} while(0)" thingies. The OP complained because he
likes using MS /W4 sometimes, and then all his uses of these things
generate nuisance warnings about testing a constant expression (in
the "while(0)" part). Comma expressions don't have this problem
(although it's a lucky accident that comma expressions suffice for these
macros!).
the purpose. Increased my claim to two bits, hoping that nobody
will complain about it. I'm taking the highest two bits, whatever
the integer word size may be.
