title: Is it safe to use sys.platform=='win32' check on 64-bit Python?
body: <p>The usual check to differentiate between running Python-application on Windows and on other OSes (Linux typically) is to use conditional:</p>
  
  <pre><code>if sys.platform == 'win32':
      ...
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But I wonder is it safe to use today when 64-bit Python is more widely used in last years? Does 32 really means 32-bit, or basically it refers to Win32 API?</p>
  
  <p>If there is possibility to have one day sys.platform as 'win64' maybe such condition would be more universal?</p>
  
  <pre><code>if sys.platform.startswith('win'):
      ...
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>There is also another way to detect Windows I'm aware of:</p>
  
  <pre><code>if os.name == 'nt':
      ...
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But I really never saw in other code the use of the latter.</p>
  
  <p>What is the best way then?</p>
  
  <p><strong>UPD</strong>: I'd like to avoid using extra libraries if I can. Requiring installing extra library to check that I'm work not in the Windows may be annoying for Linux users. </p>