Embedding Python 3.3 in C++ from zipped standard library on Windows XP

Question

I want to embed Python 3.3.4 in my C++ application so that:

• Python's standard library is always taken from a zip archive alongside my app's executable (shouldn't depend on any environment vars etc);
• my own custom .py modules are imported from another folder or zip archive alongside the executable.

And, in fact, I've almost managed to do it right. The only thing that still does not work is importing the standard library from a ZIP archive: it works ok as a simple directory, but whenever I try to zip it, initialization fails with the following error:

Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: unable to load the file system codec

Is it even possible with latest Python? I've googled a lot for it and lots of sources claim that putting correct "python33.zip" near the executable should work. Still, my experiments prove otherwise. What am I missing?

Here's my test code - a minimal console application made by MS Visual Studio 2010, running on Windows XP SP3, with some comments as to what I tried and what are the results:

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "python.h"

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    // calling or not calling Py_SetProgramName doesn't seem to change anything
    //Py_SetProgramName(argv[0]);

    // python_lib is a directory with contents of python33/Lib
    // python_lib.zip is an equivalent ZIP archive with contents of python33/Lib (without any top-level subdirs)
    // _scripts.dat is a ZIP archive containing a custom script (hello.py)

    //Py_SetPath(L"python_lib;_scripts.dat"); // works fine! (non-zipped standard library, zipped custom script)

    Py_SetPath(L"python_lib.zip;_scripts.dat"); // both std library and scripts are zipped - fails with error "unable to load the file system codec" during Py_Initialize()

    Py_Initialize();

    PyRun_SimpleString("from time import time,ctime\n"
                        "print('Today is',ctime(time()))\n");

    PyRun_SimpleString("import hello"); // runs hello.py from inside _scripts.dat (works fine if Py_Initialize succeeds)

    Py_Finalize();

    return 0;
}

Answer 1

This problem was recently discovered and documented in Python Issue 20621. A fix for it will be released in Python 3.3.5; 3.3.5 release candidate 2 is now available for testing. http://www.python.org/download/releases/3.3.5/

Answer 2

Turned out to be some problem with Python 3.3.4. Installing 3.3.2 or 3.3.3 instead fixes everything instantly.

Filed this issue on Python's bug tracker:

http://bugs.python.org/issue20852