[Cython] [cython-users] GSoC 2012

[mark florisson]

On 8 March 2012 14:27, Stefan Behnel <stefan_ml at behnel.de> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I noticed that people start rushing for the next season on Python's GSoC
> mailing lists. Do we have any interested developers here, or general ideas
> about suitable topics? I would expect that we'll do as in the last years
> and participate under Python's umbrella.

I will likely be submitting a proposal for the OpenCL support CEP. As
for other proposals, anyone can come up with something themselves or
choose a suitable CEP. Some ideas:

- fused cdef classes (probably not as an entire gsoc project)
- profile guided optimizations (using python's profilers and/or a
custom profiler that collects data such as types etc, which can be
used to specialize variables inside loops (or entire functions) with a
fallback to normal mode in case the type changes)
- cython library to contain common functionality (although that might
be a bit boring and rather involved)
- better type inference, that would be enabled by default and again
handle thing like reassignments of variables and fallbacks to the
default object type. With entry caching Cython could build a database
of types ((extension) classes, functions, variables) used in the
modules and functions that are compiled (also def functions), and
infer the types used and specialize on those. Maybe a switch should be
added to cython to handle circular dependencies, or maybe with the
distutils preprocessing it can run all the type inference first and
keep track of unresolved entries, and try to fill those in after
building the database. For bonus points the user can be allowed to
write plugins to aid the process.
- llvm based JIT :), i.e. have Cython instrument the generated code to
record information and use that to create specializations at runtime
(probably far out for a gsoc)

I'd be willing to (co)mentor if wanted and possible within the
constraints of the gsoc program.

> Please reply on the cython-devel mailing list.
>
> Stefan