[pypy-dev] Removal of RCTypes, the extension compiler, support for PyObjects

[Carl Friedrich Bolz]

Hi Martijn,

Martijn Faassen wrote:
> I'll just note what this might mean to you in terms of project
> perception and perception of commitment:
>
> You're replacing one of the few areas of PyPy that at least *seemed* to
> be useful in the near term for production use (even though it evidently
> wasn't really) with "the extension compiler can be reimplemented with
> rffi if someone is interested in doing that".
>
> I.e. you're removing your implicit commitment (in the form of code that
> more or less worked) and replacing it with an explicit lack of
> commitment or interest in making this work.

I really thought we were through with that. So, again:

First let me note that I think the extcompiler is a promising idea. I
agree that the idea could lead to something generally useful. However:
The current implementation is not useful at all. It wasn't used
seriously by anybody. Richard tried to use it and he found that it
wasn't creating anything useful, since the resulting CPython
extensions weren't really any faster than just writing the stuff in
pure Python to begin with.

For these reasons removing this piece of code is not showing lack of
commitment or lack of leadership or sending a wrong signal in my
opinion. It is just getting rid of a failed implementation idea.

> Meanwhile the project has not given many signals about its current level
> of commitment to produce a Python interpreter that people can use in
> production. Initially I got the impression that people wanted to
> synchronize at EuroPython after the closure of the EU project, but what
> was the conclusion? Perhaps this sprint is a good opportunity.
>
> The perception could easily arise that there is no interest in giving an
> impression of commitment, and thus not to expect a production-quality
> Python interpreter in the foreseeable future. Is this perception
> correct? Are people even talking about giving a level of commitment, or
> is this whole discussion uninteresting to the project altogether? I'd
> like to know so I can adjust my own perception accordingly.

Because of what I wrote above, I don't think your conclusions are fair.

Cheers,

Carl Friedrich