[Python-3000] parser/compiler interface [was Re: compiler module]

[Georg Brandl]

Martin v. Löwis schrieb:
>> * you can parse things with parser.suite(), but not create an AST from
>>    the parse result
>> * you can create an AST with an undocumented flag to compile(), but not
>>    compile the resulting AST
> 
> The flag is documented, in the document referred to.
> 
> There are good reasons for why things are that way. In proceeding, it
> is always important to remember these reasons.

I think I am aware of the reasons, and I'm not accusing anyone that
things went that way. It's just that a programmer would want a different
situation, especially with the compiler package gone.

>> * there are too many modules that have to do with parsing and compiling:
>>    token, symbol, parser, _ast, symtable
> 
> I fail to see that as a problem. token and symbol are just collections
> of symbolic constants - what's wrong with that?

Nothing per se, but if we are grouping things for Py3k, this is a
strong candidate.

>> I'd suggest a single package to unify all this functionality and an API
>> that makes it easy to go from every compiling stage to the next, or to
>> the final code object.
> 
> Unifying might be a good thing, but I don't see how it helps to solve
> the problems you report (except for the last one, perhaps - but then,
> you might end up with a single package with too many modules). To go
> from one step to the next, you first have to implement the code to make
> that possible.  Only then it becomes relevant whether that code all
> should live in a single package.

Of course, I intend to implement the missing pieces, as well as the
unification.

Georg

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