PEP 683 (immortal objects) revealed some ways in which the Python documentation has been unnecessarily coupled to the implementation details of reference counts. In the end users should focus on reference ownership, including taking references and releasing them, rather than on how many reference counts an object has.
This change updates the documentation to reflect that perspective. It also updates the docs relative to immortal objects in a handful of places.
* Uncomment object removal in pairindextypes
* Use new-style index directive ('object') - C API
* Use new-style index directive ('object') - Library
* Use new-style index directive ('object') - Reference
* Use new-style index directive ('object') - Tutorial
Python now always use the ``%zu`` and ``%zd`` printf formats to
format a size_t or Py_ssize_t number. Building Python 3.12 requires a
C11 compiler, so these printf formats are now always supported.
* PyObject_Print() and _PyObject_Dump() now use the printf %zd format
to display an object reference count.
* Update PY_FORMAT_SIZE_T comment.
* Remove outdated notes about the %zd format in PyBytes_FromFormat()
and PyUnicode_FromFormat() documentations.
* configure no longer checks for the %zd format and no longer defines
PY_FORMAT_SIZE_T macro in pyconfig.h.
* pymacconfig.h no longer undefines PY_FORMAT_SIZE_T: macOS 10.4 is
no longer supported. Python 3.12 now requires macOS 10.6 (Snow
Leopard) or newer.
Convert the following macros to static inline functions:
* PyByteArray_AS_STRING()
* PyByteArray_GET_SIZE()
* PyBytes_AS_STRING()
* PyBytes_GET_SIZE()
Limited C API version 3.11 no longer casts arguments.
Add _PyBytes_CAST() and _PyByteArray_CAST() macros.
I think that none of these API calls can fail, but only few of them are
documented as such. Add the sentence "This function always succeeds" (which is
the same already used e.g. by PyNumber_Check) to all of them.
Eric Snow
Victor Stinner
Adam Turner
Julien Palard
Jelle Zijlstra
Antonio Cuni
Serhiy Storchaka
Stéphane Wirtel
Louie Lu
Berker Peksag
R David Murray
Georg Brandl
Victor Stinner
Benjamin Peterson