[Python-ideas] Putting `blist` into collections module

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, Sep 20, 2014 at 08:18:54AM -0700, Ram Rachum wrote:
> Hi everybody,
> 
> In 2007, this PEP was created that suggested integrating Daniel Stutzbach's 
> blist into Python: http://legacy.python.org/dev/peps/pep-3128/
> 
> The PEP was rejected, but Raymond Hettinger made a note that "after a few 
> months, I intend to poll comp.lang.python for BList success stories. If 
> they exist, then I have no problem with inclusion in the collections 
> module."

I have not used blist, but I have no objection to it becoming a 
collections type if the author agrees.

 
> I realize that way more than a few months have passed, but I'd still like 
> to give my input. I really wish that `blist` would be made available in the 
> `collections` module. I'm working on an open-source project right now that 
> needs to use it and I'm really reluctant to include `blist` as a 
> dependency, given that it would basically mean my package wouldn't be 
> pip-installable on Windows machines.

Does it need to be a dependency though? You could make it optional. 
Assuming that blist has the same API as a list, you could do:

try:
    from blist import blist
except ImportError:
    blist = list


which makes blist an optimization, if and when it is available.



-- 
Steven