Re: python setup ?

[Andreas Röhler]

Xavier Maillard wrote:
> Hi
>
>    Xavier Maillard <xma@gnu.org> writes:
>
>    > I am starting to do some work with python. I am looking for
>    > options/setups to introduce into my .emacs file to have the best
>    > experience possible with this scripting language.
>    >
>    > Where should I start ?
>
>    I personnaly use python-mode.el that is much better than python.el (that
>    come with emacs).
>
> In what is it better ?
>
>    I use also ipython as python shell that integrate fine in emacs.
>
> Phew, how many new dependances should I install in order to have
> something simple to use ? :) I thought python was something for
> beginners, it is not. I find it easier to play lisp...
>
>       Xavier
>   
Hi Xavier,

as its well known, you are not a beginner with Emacs,
please permit to take your comment as occasion:

Your question and experience with Emacs and Python
reflects IMHO some general strength and likewise
present limitation.

The strength is, clearly: with that many files out
there, that many people who wrote already something for
python, with some Emacs Lisp knowledge you'll be able
to install a reasonable environment.

OTOH: how many people did that already, spent hours to
collect and adapt utilities from the net? And
afterwards? If we take together all this time from
users configuring an python-environment, we could
probably get more useful results from it. So there is a
lose of time.

Can we do better? ... :)

One thing, thats to realize IMO: times are gone where
one person with some knowledge of a language may write
a mode and thats it. Even maintaining it alone seems to
surpass any personal capacity. If we want to keep path,
we have to establish developer-groups caring for a
language. That happened already with C-modes AFAIS. We
need that for any major language.

Concerning python, we have enough man-power to
perform excellent things. To the extent, user have to do
`M-x python,' and an environment with all up-to-date
debugging facilities gets installed.

No question its great whats done at

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/PythonMode

Emacswiki was helpful many times for me.

However, for pure development issues, designed
platforms like Launchpad seem more suitable for the
purpose for me. Beside excellent bazaar behind, lets mention
its email- and bugreport integration.

As it happens we have with Barry Warsaw not just an
experienced Emacs Lisper, but a python core developer
with its python-mode account: we should try our chance
to proceed with his gentle help occasionally.

AFAIS we need tailored accounts, where we maintain
flavours of possible environments, learning and lifting
from each other, enabling distributions to select and
pull for delivering.

So far

Andreas

--
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