coredata.py issue: ffmpeg \\ windows \\ media autobuild

[makingbands]

coredata.py on import SyntaxError: source code string cannot contain null bytes

I keep getting this error message and I can't figure out what is going on.

I tried sed and resaving the file with utf-8 file encoding suggested in the stackoverflow question below:
-bash-5.25$ sed -i 's/\x0//g' coredata.py

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31233777/python-source-code-string-cannot-contain-null-bytes

I don't use Python very often I'm hoping this is something someone who does will know how to fix immediately which is why I am posting the question here and not with the media-autobuild community.

[eli-schwartz]

I don't know what the problem here is caused b -- the version of coredata.py in this repository doesn't have any null bytes. How did you download Meson?

[makingbands]

Looks like I have a problem with my python install:

Running meson...
Likely error (tail of the failed operation logfile):
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/mesonbuild/mesonmain.py", line 67, in __init__
    from . import mconf, mdist, minit, minstall, mintro, msetup, mtest, rewriter, msubprojects, munstable_coredata, mcompile, mdevenv, mformat
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/mesonbuild/mconf.py", line 15, in <module>
    from . import build
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/mesonbuild/build.py", line 18, in <module>
    from . import coredata
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/site-packages/mesonbuild/coredata.py", line 11, in <module>
    import pickle, os, uuid
SyntaxError: source code string cannot contain null bytes

$ python test_uuid.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/test/test_uuid.py", line 3, in <module>
    from test.support import import_helper
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/test/support/import_helper.py", line 11, in <module>
    from .os_helper import unlink, temp_dir
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/test/support/os_helper.py", line 740, in <module>
    import ctypes
  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/ctypes/__init__.py", line 558, in <module>
    from ctypes._endian import BigEndianStructure, LittleEndianStructure
SyntaxError: source code string cannot contain null bytes

Sorry about that... =D

[makingbands]

Ok maybe I was wrong:

As of Python 3.12, you can no longer import BigEndianStructure or LittleEndianStructure directly from ctypes._endian, as it is an internal module. These classes are intentionally exposed for public use through the top-level ctypes module.
Correct way to import endian structures
To create a structure with a specific byte order, you should import BigEndianStructure and LittleEndianStructure directly from the ctypes module, not the private _endian submodule.

I'm going to take a stab at fixing this locally with my buddy copilot. I'll let you know if I get it working.

[eli-schwartz]

If copilot is your buddy, it's that kid from high school who everyone said was cool, and who said he was your friend (but mostly seemed to make jokes which were in retrospect a bit mean) and convinced you to ditch classes and smoke behind the gym bleachers.

And it turned out he was lying to you for years about most things.

In this particular case, it is the python standard library that is importing the private _endian submodule. (Meson does import ctypes, but only for: windll, byref, wintypes, c_ushort, c_void_p. We don't use endian at all.)

It's also flat out incorrect. Python 3.12 hasn't changed anything here. You can still import from ctypes._endian import BigEndianStructure (but you shouldn't, because it is a private organization detail).

[eli-schwartz]

I suspect your first theory was correct. Your python install.may be corrupted -- it looks like trying to import some standard library modules returns that error.

  File "C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/ctypes/__init__.py", line 558, in <module>
    from ctypes._endian import BigEndianStructure, LittleEndianStructure
SyntaxError: source code string cannot contain null bytes

implies that at least one of the files with the issue may be the internal cpython interpreter file C:/media-autobuild/suite/msys64/mingw64/lib/python3.12/ctypes/_endian.py

[makingbands]

I actually downloaded the file from the web using the repo on GitHub... also the auto build tool I'm using pulls from the GitHub repo. That sed, command that I ran should have guaranteed there's no null bytes in the file. I don't know what's going on? When I get back to my computer I'll try to get some more information from python

…

________________________________ From: Eli Schwartz ***@***.***> Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2025 12:38 PM To: mesonbuild/meson ***@***.***> Cc: Jon Diamond ***@***.***>; Author ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [mesonbuild/meson] coredata.py issue: ffmpeg \\ windows \\ media autobuild (Discussion #15051) I don't know what the problem here is caused b -- the version of coredata.py in this repository doesn't have any null bytes. How did you download Meson? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#15051 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AOIGIKGPSCVRSWEAJPUOF4D3URABZAVCNFSM6AAAAACHQOBOBGVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTINJRGQ4TCMI>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>