These are the sources required to build Python (currently version 2.4.3)
for Windows CE. Go to the PCbuild/WinCE directory and do an "nmake" to build
Python 2.4.3 for Windows/CE.
There is a sample file (WCEARM.BAT) file to set up the compilation
environment for ARM using Embedded Visual C++ 4.0 and the
Pocket PC 2003 SDK. WCEARM300.BAT sets up the compilation environment
for Embedded Visual C++ 3.0 and the Pocket PC 2002 SDK.
The default build is ARMREL (StrongARM Release). To get a debug build
do "nmake CFG=ARMDEB".
Each build (and architecture) puts its binary files in a separate hierachy
under PCBuild/WinCE/binaries. For example, building for target ARMREL and
Pocket PC 2003 you would find the binaries in PCBuild\WinCE\binaries\ARMRel420.
Building for target ARMDEB a Pocket PC 2002 you would the binaries in
PCBuild\WinCE\binaries\ARMDeb300. All the compiled Python files (which are common
to all builds on all architectures) end up in PCBuild\WinCE\binaries\lib.
If you have a problem using Embedded Visual C++ IDE to debug
projects that are built entirely out of an external makefile, there is a small
project in the directory (python.vcp -- which is for Embedded Visual C++ 4.0)
that you can use the build a debug Python.exe that is easier to debug
using the IDE.
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Step-by-step guide to building:
- Assume the source is in c:\source\python-wince, referred to as $src
- Edit $src/PCbuild/WinCE/wcearm.bat
- set WCEROOT the place where Microsoft eMbedded C++ 4.0 lives
(by default it is C:\Program Files\Microsoft eMbedded C++ 4.0)
- set SDKROOT to the place where SDKs are installed
(by default it is C:\Program Files\Windows CE Tools)
- set PYTHONROOT to the directory where you have installed Python on your PC
- if you are building pywin32, set PYWIN32ROOT to the source root
- if you are not using the Pocket PC 2003 SDK, change PLATFORM
- Start a command prompt
- cd to $src/PCbuild/WinCE
- Run: wcearm.bat (this sets all the environment variables)
- The release build is the default, but if want a debug build: set CFG=ARMDEB
- Run: nmake
- Run: nmake pywin32 (optional)
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Installing the compiled binaries:
To install, create a base directory (e.g. \Program Files\Python) and
put the following files there:
<base>
python24.dll
python.exe
python24.zip (renamed from full-python.zip)
DLLs (subdirectory)
_csv.pyd
_socket.pyd
_symtable.pyd
_testcapi.pyd
_winreg.pyd
datetime.pyd
mmap.pyd
parser.pyd
pyexpat.pyd
pywintypes.dll
select.pyd
unicodedata.pyd
win32event.pyd
win32gui.pyd
winsound.pyd
Lib (subdirectory)
os.py
Note that Lib\os.py must exist because it is used as a "landmark" to verify
the location of Python.
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New Features:
Based on Python 2.4.3
More Windows compatibility code has been added so the Windows/CE
Python shares just about ALL of its code with the Windows version
of Python. It should now be bug-for-bug compatible with Python
on full-blown Windows platforms.
The old "pcceshell", which required a LOT of other things to
work in order to function at all, has been replaced almost
entirely by code in the main program stub (python.c). There
is a small amount of Python-level code that is placed as a
resource in python.exe, so EVERYTHING needed to support a
minimal running interaction window is self-contained. It is
no longer necessary to have win32gui, win32event and pywintypes
installed in order to run Python on Windows/CE.
Support for ZIP archives of Python modules has been added.
It is now possible to package up Python modules in ZIP files
just like on Windows and Unix platforms.
Support has been added for reading ZIP archives that have been
placed as resources in the Python DLL or in main programs that
call the Python DLL. For example, if you added a resource like the
following to a program:
PYTHON24.ZIP PYTHONZIP DISCARDABLE "binaries\\lib\\minimal-python24.zip"
When the zipimport loader attempts to load a module from a path
that ends in python24.zip and the file is not found, this resource
will be used. It allows you to package up a program and a bunch of
Python modules in one easy-to-use image.
The Python DLL has a PYTHON24.ZIP resource that contains a minimal
set of python modules. It allows the full traceback function to work.
There are 2 ZIP files: python24.zip, which can be placed in the
\\Program Files\Python\Lib directory to override the minimal one
that is in the python24 DLL. This file has more basic stuff in
it but not everything. full-python24.zip can be placed in
\\Program Files\Python\Lib as python24.zip to get everything that
is in Windows Python except the following:
bsddb - There is no _bsddb "C" support yet, so it can't work
compiler - I haven't seen the need for this
(somebody tell me if they want it)
curses - Useless on a Pocket PC
distutils - Same as compiler
idlelib - Haven't brought this up yet
test - Haven't brought this up yet
signal - Windows/CE is so far from having signals that this is useless
msvcrt - Windows/CE has little that this module calls
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To Do:
Keep looking for a pipe-like object on Windows/CE that would allow us
to dump all the interactive stuff and be more like a console-based
application (but with input/output from the shell window which could
then be a generic facility that we add to Windows/CE python).
Add support for the following PYDs:
_bsddb
bz2
pyexpat
_ssl