Re: Current state of python.el in the Emacs trunk

[Stefan Monnier]

>> The only problem is that the very reason for desiring such a switch is
>> because nobody (including and especially the most obvious candidate,
>> Dave) has been willing to maintain our python.el.
> I'm confused. Didn't I offer to do maintenance work, like for example
> integrating Dave's bug fixes (if he agreed to it)?

Yes, you did, sorry for that.  The discussion of moving to
python-mode.el took place a good while before you suggested taking
over maintenance, so I simplified my argument by not mentioning more
recent developments.

> I have actually spent quite some time digging through the current
> python.el mode and tried to do some clean up and fix things.
> For example, the inital integration of pdbtrack a couple of years ago
> left a huge amount of duplication since it was never really cleaned
> up.  For example: why are there two different ways to invoke
> a python shell?

My best guess: historical accident.

>> Now Fabian proposes a third Python mode.
> I looked at it and I like it. It actually fixes some issues that the
> current python.el has, especially when it comes to things like
> pdbtrack. I had some issues getting some of features to work (shell
> completion, for example) but that might just be because I was using
> 24.0.50 and/or using it wrong.
> I didn't have the time to compare the current python.el with Fabian's
> version as far as features go, but I didn't really miss anything while
> using Fabian's new mode today.

Since you have a good knowledge of our current python.el, maybe you
could get together with Fabian to merge the two?

>> Of course, I'd rather work at bringing the various python modes closer
>> to each other, rather than have them fork even further, so I'm not sure
>> what's the best course here.
> As far as python-mode.el goes...the discussion I started on this list
> sparked another on the python-mode list:
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-mode/2011-February/000937.html
> This doesn't sound like we would get on the same page anytime soon.

Don't trust everything you read, and don't assume every poster in
a thread is actually relevant to the problem.  AFAIK most authors of
python-mode.el would be willing to sign the needed papers and work with
us, but it's indeed likely that one or two might pose problem, and even
more likely that it'll take a lot of effort (if at all possible) to
track down all those people.
And furthermore, we don't need to integrate python-mode.el into Emacs to
bring the various python mode closer to each other.


        Stefan