[Python-Dev] importlib is now bootstrapped (and what that means)

[Brett Cannon]

On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 06:43, Eric V. Smith <eric at trueblade.com> wrote:

> On 4/17/2012 5:52 AM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> > On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:41:56 -0400
> > Brett Cannon <brett at python.org> wrote:
> >> On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 20:27, Antoine Pitrou <solipsis at pitrou.net>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> On Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:11:14 +0200
> >>> Georg Brandl <g.brandl at gmx.net> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> No, it's not just an existing Python, it is (at least currently) the
> same
> >>>> version of Python being built.  Therefore I wrote about the
> bootstrapping
> >>>> problems when bytecode changes.
> >>>>
> >>>> Depending on Cython is better in that it breaks the bootstrapping
> cycle,
> >>>> but on the other hand the C code may need to be regenerated when the C
> >>> API
> >>>> changes in an incompatible way.
> >>>
> >>> Cython OTOH probably needs Python 2.x, which isn't that great for
> >>> building Python 3. And requiring Cython for developing is not very
> >>> contributor-friendly.
> >>>
> >>
> >> Well, required to regenerate _frozen_importlib, but nothing else. I mean
> >> making fixes go into importlib directly and get tested that way, not
> >> through __import__(). So really Cython would only be needed when
> >> importlib._bootstrap has been changed and you are making a commit.
> >
> > That's still a large dependency to bring in, while we already have a
> > working solution.
> > I'd understand using Cython to develop some new extension module which
> > requires linking against a C library (and is thus impossible to write
> > in pure Python). But for importlib that's totally non-necessary.
> >
> > I guess I'm -1 on it.
>
> I agree. If the problem we're trying to solve is that the generated file
> isn't always rebuilt, bringing in a large dependency like Cython seems
> like overkill to me.
>

Actually Cython would help with a subtle maintenance burden of maintaining
*any* C code for import. Right now,
Python/import.c:PyImport_ImportModuleLevelObject() is an accelerated C
version of importlib.__import__() through checking sys.modules, after which
it calls into the Python code. Cython would do away with that C
acceleration code (which I have already had to modify once and Antoine
found a couple refleaks in).


>
> We basically have a working solution now (thanks, Brett). I think we
> should focus on getting it polished. Maybe we can bring in Cython in a
> later release, if in the 3.4 timeframe it still seems like we have a
> problem to solve. I suspect things will be working fine.


I don't view this discussion as work/not work but more of work/work better
(possibly; I have severe bias here to cut the C code down to zilch since I
don't want to write anymore of it so I'm definitely not going to make any
final call on this topic).
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