though I tried to be very careful. This is a slight simplification, and it
adds a new feature: a small stack-allocated "recycled" array for the cases
when we don't remove too many items.
It allows PyList_SetSlice() to never fail if:
* you are sure that the object is a list; and
* you either do not remove more than 8 items, or clear the list.
This makes a number of other places in the source code correct again -- there
are some places that delete a single item without checking for MemoryErrors
raised by PyList_SetSlice(), or that clear the whole list, and sometimes the
context doesn't allow an error to be propagated.
invariants allows the ob_item != NULL check to be replaced with an
assertion.
* Added assertions to list_init() which document and verify that the
tp_new slot establishes the invariants. This may preclude a future
bug if a custom tp_new slot is written.
to NULL during the lifetime of the object.
* listobject.c nevertheless did not conform to the other invariants,
either; fixed.
* listobject.c now uses list_clear() as the obvious internal way to clear
a list, instead of abusing list_ass_slice() for that. It makes it easier
to enforce the invariant about ob_item == NULL.
* listsort() sets allocated to -1 during sort; any mutation will set it
to a value >= 0, so it is a safe way to detect mutation. A negative
value for allocated does not cause a problem elsewhere currently.
test_sort.py has a new test for this fix.
* listsort() leak: if items were added to the list during the sort, AND if
these items had a __del__ that puts still more stuff into the list,
then this more stuff (and the PyObject** array to hold them) were
overridden at the end of listsort() and never released.
mutation during list.sort() used to rely on that listobject.c always
NULL'ed ob_item when ob_size fell to 0. That's no longer true, so the
test for list mutation during a sort is no longer reliable. Changed the
test to rely instead on that listobject.c now never NULLs-out ob_item
after (if ever) ob_item gets a non-NULL value. This new assumption is
also documented now, as a required invariant in listobject.h.
The new assumption allowed some real simplification to some of the
hairier code in listsort(), so is a Good Thing on that count.
Clarifed that os.environ is captured once; emphasized that it's better
to assign to os.environ than to call putenv() directly (the putenv()
docs said so, but the environ docs didn't).
Major rewrite of the math module docs. Slapped in "radians" where
appropriate; grouped the functions into reasonable categories; supplied
many more words to address common confusions about some of the subtler
issues.