The section on building extensions on Windows needs to be updated.  A single section, shared for Unix & Windows, needs to point out the distutils approach and point to the appropriate manual.

Information about linking, DLLs/shared libraries, and use of C++ needs to be reviewed and updated.

Logged In: YES 
user_id=60314

Yes, I fully agree -- the information in the manual at 
http://python.sourceforge.net/devel-docs/ext/win-
cookbook.html is positively wrong, and one of the major 
causes of help requests in my experience -- people look for 
inexistent http://starship.python.net/crew/da/compile/, 
download the sources to get a pyconfig.h they don't need 
and look for a PC\pyconfig.h that doesn't exist, and get 
tied into knots writing a Setup file.  Seems a very serious 
situation to me.

While we wait to do it 'just right', couldn't at least the 
present erroneous text be replaced with some temporary 
pointer e.g. to some of the various posts on the subject 
(cfr http://groups.google.com/groups?
as_q=setup.py&as_uauthors=alex%20martelli for many 
examples, or my apparently popular recipe at 
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/6650
9, or...?) -- I'll be happy to write/rewrite this stuff 
with whatever mods you require, Fred, except that I can't 
seem to use the 'official' way to write Python docs (LaTex 
etc etc -- I thought a Linux box would make it easy but i'm 
still having problems setting it up, sigh).

Let me know if I can be of help in any way, but I think 
that, particularly now with the nice new material in 
chapter 2, it's a positive ill to leave chapter 4 as it is 
now...:-(

Logged In: YES 
user_id=3066

This is closely related to SF bug #221671.  Bumping the
priority to match.

I'll plan to get this done for 2.2rc1; Alex, I'll expect you
to review the updated material once the release candidate is
out so I can get your comments before the final release.  ;-)

Logged In: YES 
user_id=3066

The instructions for building extensions on Windows have
been completely replaced in Doc/ext/windows.tex revision
1.3.  The DLL discussion and C++ usage documentation still
needs to be reviewed, but the known-broken docs have been
corrected.

Lowering the priority of the remaining aspects of this
report, and changing the summary line.

Logged In: YES 
user_id=60314

I have reviewed Doc/ext/windows.tex, rev=1.3.  Every issue I
had noticed seems fixed very well.  The only remaining
problem I can see are many mentions of python15.lib at the
end of the documents; these should presumably be changed
to python22.lib (a mention of version dependency of these
numbers would probably be a good idea).

Great job!

Logged In: YES 
user_id=31392

Fred, It sounds like this task is done or almost done.  Can 
we close the bug report?

Logged In: YES 
user_id=21627

Information on building with distutils has been added in a
separate section now.

Logged In: YES 
user_id=21627

Information on building with distutils has been added in a
separate section now.

Logged In: YES 
user_id=3066

Abstracted the version numbers in file names in
Doc/ext/windows.tex revisions 1.6 and 1.3.6.2.