[pypy-dev] Implicit make functionality in pypy?

[Bengt Richter]

Hello.

I thought I'd offer this observation:

There seems to be a lot of activity between a python source and
producing the result of "executing" it. Even in CPython, there are
implicitly checks on the environment and for the existence of .pyc
files, etc., and conditional compilation based on these.

Descriptions of pypy aspirations suggest more complex and conditional
behavior in the process of "executing" a python script.

As a thought experiment, how do you react to thinking of the total process
as controlled by a hidden pypy_make and associated files (python source,
default make-file template, etc.)?

Even if pypy_make doesn't literally exist, I'm wondering if the make
concept (being familiar) would help organize all the activities and
dependencies, especially since various targeting options are desired,
and various optimization strategies are to be coordinated, etc., etc.,
including possible use of alternate implementation languages for
modules/extensions.

I thought maybe the concept of python execution/interpreting via implicit
pypy_make might make factoring/modularizing the various functions easier
and more flexible than a more monolithic interpreter concept, but this is
just a thought.

Thus
    pypy script.py
would perhaps act like
    pypy_make results -f pypy_run.mak -s script.py
under the covers, and pypy_run.mak (and script.py.mak if present?)
could accumulate the declarative glue to express all the relationships.

Maybe scons could be cannibalized, if this were a viable
implementation strategy?

Anyway, just a thought, FWIW.

Regards,
Bengt
(Back from 2 wks on a sunny beach ;-)