Prior to Python 3.8, configuring Python was an ad-hoc process. PEP 587 added a systematic way to configure Python. Using this leads to simpler, clearer code with compile time checking for the config fields, better error handling and more discoverable documentation.

For example, in Py_InitializeEx(0) the 0 means "don't install signal handlers". This is opaque and requires looking Py_InitializeEx in the docs to interpret. (Of course a comment could fix that.) Instead we now say:

config.install_signal_handlers = false;