[Python-Dev] Trial balloon: microthreads library in stdlib

[Richard Tew]

On 2/13/07, glyph at divmod.com <glyph at divmod.com> wrote:
> Tristan is correct: this should be a patch against Twisted, or perhaps as a
> separate library that could implement a reactor.

I think there is some confusion here.

I am not writing a competing event driven mechanism.  What I was doing
was feeling out whether there was any interest in better support for
asynchronous calls.

You are right.  This should not have been on this list.  It should have been
on python-ideas, but I replied here because Dustin started the discussion
here and I thought if a generator based microthreading solution were to
be implemented, it could also benefit from better asynchronous support
so brought it into the discussion.  After all, if microthreading was in
the Python distribution, then it makes sense to make other general
improvements which make them more useful.

What I meant to suggest that Twisted could be based on was the
asynchronous file IO support using IOCP.  Especially because
Tristan implied that Twisted's own IOCP reactor was incomplete.  I
did not say this clearly.

Yes I have looked at Twisted.  It was the first place I looked, several
months ago, and what drew me to it was the IOCP reactor.  However
as I also explained in my reply to Tristan it is not suitable for my
needs.  It is a large dependency and it is a secondary framework.
And I did not feel the need to verify the implication that it wasn't
ready because this matched my own recollections.

But I hope you realise that asserting that things should be within
Twisted without giving any reason, especially when the first person
saying it just stated that the matching work in Twisted wasn't even
ready, feels like Twisted is trying to push itself forward by bullying
people to work within it whenever something can be asserted as
laying within whatever domain it is which Twisted covers.
Even if it doesn't suit their needs.  I don't think Tristan intended
that, but when followed up with your reply and JP's interesting
response to Greg, it feels like it.