[Python-Dev] threadsafe patch for asynchat

[Thomas Wouters]

On Tue, Feb 07, 2006 at 08:53:46PM -0800, Bill Janssen wrote:

> Perhaps the right idea is to fix the various problems of asyncore.

The problem with making asyncore more useful is that you end up with (a cut
down version of) Twisted, although not one that would be able to integrate
with Twisted. asyncore/asynchat and Twisted are really not that different,
and anything you do to enhance the former will make it look more like the
latter. I'd personally rather fork parts of Twisted, in spite of the
maintenance issues, than re-invent Twisted, fix all the issues Twisted
already solves and face the same kind of maintenance issues. It would be
perfect if the twisted-light in the stdlib would integrate with the 'real'
Twisted, so that users can 'upgrade' their programs just by installing
Twisted and using the extra features.

Not that I think we should stop at the event core and the TCP/SSL parts of
Twisted; imaplib, poplib, httplib, xmlrpclib, for instance, could all do
with Twisted-inspired alternatives (or even replacements, if the synchronous
API was kept the same.) The synchronous versions are fine for simple scripts
(or complex scripts that don't mind long blocking operations.) If we start
exporting a really useful asynchronous framework, I would expect
asynchronous counterparts to the useful higher-level networking modules,
too. But that doesn't have to come right away ;)

Anything beyond simple bugfixes on asyncore/asynchat seems like a terrible
waste of effort, to me. And I hardly ever use Twisted.

-- 
Thomas Wouters <thomas at xs4all.net>

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