[Python-Dev] Sumo

[geremy condra]

On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 5:46 AM, Antoine Pitrou <solipsis at pitrou.net> wrote:
> Le mercredi 26 mai 2010 à 13:19 +0100, Paul Moore a écrit :
>>
>> I'm not sure how a "Sumo" approach would work in practical terms, and
>> this thread isn't really the place to discuss, but there's a couple of
>> points I think are worth making:
>>
>> * For a "Sumo" distribution to make sense, some relatively substantial
>> chunk of the standard library would need to be moved *out* to reside
>> in the sumo distribution. Otherwise it's not really a "sumo", just a
>> couple of modules that "nearly made it into the stdlib", at least for
>> the near-to-medium term.
>
> This is not what I'm suggesting at all. The stdlib wouldn't shrink
> (well, we could dump outdated modules but that's a separate decision).
>
> A hypothetical "Sumo" distribution would be made of those more or less
> useful modules that many people (application or framework developers;
> for example, take a look at the dozens of direct and indirect
> dependencies TurboGears pulls in) need and install.
>
> The whole point is that it would *not* be supported by python-dev itself
> but by a separate group of people (such as you :-)).
> And it would have its own rules (surely more relaxed) over inclusion or
> deprecation delays, the ability to make compatibility-breaking changes,
> release timings, multiple obvious ways to do the same thing, etc.
>
> And it means it could really bundle a lot of third-party stuff: small
> helpers (things like the decorator module), event loops, template
> engines, network address abstractions, argument parsers, ORMs, UI
> toolkits, etc.
>
> (a side-effect would be that it could, if it works well, behave as a
> good intermediate stress test - a purgatory, if you want - for modules
> before they integrate the stdlib)
>
> If you want an existing analogy, you could look at EasyPHP. Or think of
> Python as the Gnome or KDE project (consistent and aiming at providing
> the most important everyday tools, but quite focused), and "Sumo" as an
> entire distribution of disparate Linux GUI apps.
>
> Regards
>
> Antoine.

I'd also point out that creating a sumo distribution would focus attention
on the need to port those libraries which were a part of it to python3,
which would help to weaken the argument that there aren't any packages
written for it.

Geremy Condra