[Python-Dev] adding Construct to the standard library?

[Giovanni Bajo]

tomer filiba <tomerfiliba at gmail.com> wrote:

> the point is -- ctypes can define C types. not the TCP/IP stack.
> Construct can do both. it's a superset of ctype's typing mechanism.
> but of course both have the right to *coexist* --
> ctypes is oriented at interop with dlls, and provides the mechanisms
> needed for that.
> Construst is about data structures of all sorts and kinds.
>
> ctypes is a very helpful library as a builtin, and so is Construct.
> the two don't compete on a spot in the stdlib.


I don't agree. Both ctypes and construct provide a way to describe a
binary-packed structure in Python terms: and this is an overload of
functionality. When I first saw Construct, the thing that crossed my head was:
"hey, yet another syntax to describe a binary-packed structure in Python".
ctypes uses its description to interoperate with native libraries, while
Construct uses its to interoperate with binary protocols. I didn't see a good
reason why you shouldn't extend ctypes so to provide features that it is
currently missing. It looks like it could be easily extended to do so.

Giovanni Bajo