[Python-Dev] Please help complete the AST branch (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum gvanrossum at gmail.com
Tue Jan 4 02:42:54 CET 2005

The AST branch has been "nearly complete" for several Python versions now. The last time a serious effort was made was in May I believe, but it wasn't enough to merge the code back into 2.4, alas.

It would be a real shame if this code was abandoned. If we're going to make progress with things like type inferencing, integrating PyChecker, or optional static type checking (see my blog on Artima -- I just finished rambling part II), the AST branch would be a much better starting point than the current mainline bytecode compiler. (Arguably, the compiler package, written in Python, would make an even better start for prototyping, but I don't expect that it will ever be fast enough to be Python's only bytecode compiler.)

So, I'm pleading. Please, someone, either from the established crew of developers or a new volunteer (or more than one!), try to help out to complete the work on the AST branch and merge it into 2.5.

I wish I could do this myself, and I am committed to more time for Python than last year, but I think I should try to focus on language design issues more than implementation issues. (Although I haven't heard what Larry Wall has been told -- apparently the Perl developers don't want Larry writing code any more. :-)

Please, anyone? Raymond? Neil? Facundo? Brett?

-- --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)

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