[Python-Dev] Changing Clinic's output

[Yury Selivanov]

Even though I’m not a core dev, I happen to work with cpython source
code quite a lot, whether it’s me working on a C extension, or just
digging it for some obscure details of how python works.

And what I want to say is that cpython sources are great. They are
easy to understand even for people who don’t know C. What’s even
more important, they are easy to navigate them. Having clinic-
produced code here and there will surely complicate this. Of course,
if you work with cpython code 24/7, you will adapt, and won’t even
notice it, but for occasional users like me it will require more
focus.

For my use pattern, having clinic to produce a separate file (with
a distinct extension like “.c.clinic”) would be a huge win. Besides
just clean source files, it will also make it easier to:

- review patches;

- work with repository: logs, blames, diffs, etc;

- adjusting workflow - in sublime text / eclipse / almost any IDE
it would be just a file mask to hide the clinic output completely
(and you don’t need to see it anyways).

And besides just cpython, as I understand, the clinic should be
used not just by cpython core devs for cpython sources, but also
by numerous authors of C extensions.

So my vote is:

+1 for side files

0 for the current state of things

-1 for buffers (as it makes no sense to me why would you want
to have generated code at almost random places)

Thanks,
Yury