[Pyrex] Just some thoughts

[Tomasz Primke]

For last few days I've been using Pyrex very extensively. Therefore I have
gained some experience with this wonderful tool. I have also become more
familiar with its limitations.

I'd like to share some thoughs about Pyrex - some sugestions, that - from my
POV - could make Pyrex even better.


1) The syntax of integer-loops: I find it too long. In my opinion, instead 
of writing:

for i from lower_bound <= i < upper_bound:
  ...

it would be better (and easier, faster, more convenient) to write just:

for i from lower_bound <= upper_bound:
  ...

Rationale:
  a) Why on Earth the name of the loop variable should be written twice? I
     find it something, that wastes programmer's time.
  b) (I think) My proposal is a simpler one, than the current Pyrex syntax. 
A
     simpler syntax is easier to learn and to memorize.
  c) (I think) My proposal is a shorter one, that the current Pyrex syntax. 
It
     is easier and faster to write less code, that do the same things.

2) I think that Pyrex should offer some low-level memory managment routines. 
I think of sizeof operator, as well as the C standard *alloc and free 
functions. It would be also nice to have something like the g_new macro 
known from the GLib library.

Rationale:
  One on the reasons for writing Python extension modules in C is the need
  of more speed. Pyrex also have speed in its scope. In Pyrex it is
  possible to gain some speed by operating on data of declared type - and
  not on Python (general) objects.
  
  But another way to gain some speed is to code some low-level memory
  management. There are, for example, some "array" routines available in
  SWIG, that make developer's life much easier. In Pyrex developer has to
  code them for himself (herself). Therefore I think that such a low-level
  routines (perhaps even some array routines?) would be a great
  improvement.

  Anyway, in my opinion, writing C functions in Pyrex is still *much*
  easier, that writing C functions in... pure C.

3) It would be great to have some easy way to auto-create Python wrappers 
for chosen C functions and/or methods.

Rationale:
  Pyrex allows to gain some speed by writing faster C functions/methods and
  calling them from Pyrex's Python ones. Pyrex can be also used to write
  wrappers for some C libraries (personally I find it much easier to write
  such a wrappers in Pyrex than in SWIG).

  Any C functions in a Pyrex module can be called from Pyrex level, but they
  are inaccessible from Python level. In order to make a C function
  accessible from Python, a Python-wrapper must be written. Therefore, very
  often I find myself writing a lot of simple wrappers:

cdef void some_c_func( ... ):
  ...

def python_func( ... ):
  some_c_func( ... )

  I think it would be easier to achieve the same functionality with some
  simpler syntax, like:

cpdef void some_c_func( ... ):
  ...

  In this case I assumed, that there is a new "cpdef" keyword, that creates
  a C function called "some_c_func", and its Python-wrapper (that might be
  called "python_some_c_func", for example). Since the use of cpdef keyword
  would be optional, developer could decide to use it or not.


Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining on Pyrex - I find it a great
tool. I think, that all Pyrex developers (and contributors) are doing a 
great job. I just would like to know, if Pyrex for me the same thing is, 
that it is for other people - that's all.

For me Python is a language, that I use, because I prefere to write less 
code and get the same, needed effect. I use Pyrex, because sometimes Python 
code is too slow. Pyrex code runs faster, and if it's not enough, I use 
pure C (and wrap it with Pyrex code). Therefore I'm looking for something, 
that would allow me to write low-level code as easy, as possible. By "easy" 
I mean to code as little, as possible to do the same things.


Best regards,

        Tomek