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Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

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Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#51

Post by darawk »

ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

That list actually seems genuinely pretty minimal. Reading your comment I was expecting a long major list of changes, but it's only 3 things, most of which seem relatively unlikely to impact most programs, with the possible exception of dictionary sort order.

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#52

Post by jxy »

ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

> Since Codon performs static type checking ahead of time, a few of Python's dynamic features are disallowed. For example, monkey patching classes at runtime (although Codon supports a form of this at compile time) or adding objects of different types to a collection.

This may or may not be the biggest concerns.

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#53

Post by sillysaurusx »

redleader55 wrote: post #5

Free for non-production use... it's a "no" for me.

Surprised this sentiment is so common. It's like, do you want open source devs to work for free forever? Even Redis had to pivot to a business license.

I'm not sure what the terms are in this particular case, but in general, wanting someone to pay if they're deploying it to lots of customers seems reasonable.

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#54

Post by linuxftw »

ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

Python is a language with several implementations (PyPy, CPython, JPython). Not all python programs work in all of those implementations.

So, I think this might qualify as much as a python implementation as PyPy.

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#55

Post by KerrAvon »

darawk wrote: post #51
ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

That list actually seems genuinely pretty minimal. Reading your comment I was expecting a long major list of changes, but it's only 3 things, most of which seem relatively unlikely to impact most programs, with the possible exception of dictionary sort order.

Read the entire page. Those three bullet points aren't the extent of it. This is like the difference between Ruby and Crystal; the same syntax, similar culture, but they're fundamentally different languages.

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#56

Post by antoinealb »

darawk wrote: post #51
ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

That list actually seems genuinely pretty minimal. Reading your comment I was expecting a long major list of changes, but it's only 3 things, most of which seem relatively unlikely to impact most programs, with the possible exception of dictionary sort order.

The list of small things are for data structure. However, the language is a lot less dynamic than Python:

> Since Codon performs static type checking ahead of time, a few of Python's dynamic features are disallowed. For example, monkey patching classes at runtime (although Codon supports a form of this at compile time) or adding objects of different types to a collection.

While monkey patching is maybe not done so much in Python (outside of unit testing), adding objects of different to a collection is definitely a common operation!

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#57

Post by wiremine »

ot wrote: post #34

Can we change the title to say Python-like or something similar? Based on the comments so far, it seems that the detail that it compiles its own Python-inspired language, not actual Python, is lost on many. EDIT: A list of differences here: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/differences The summary minimizes with "many Python programs will work with few if any modifications", but it actually looks like a substanti…

From the README, for those who didn't scroll that far:

"While Codon supports nearly all of Python's syntax, it is not a drop-in replacement, and large codebases might require modifications to be run through the Codon compiler. For example, some of Python's modules are not yet implemented within Codon, and a few of Python's dynamic features are disallowed. The Codon compiler produces detailed error messages to help identify and resolve any incompatibilities."

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#58

Post by munificent »

Since Codon performs static type checking ahead of time, a few of Python's dynamic features are disallowed. For example, monkey patching classes at runtime (although Codon supports a form of this at compile time) or adding objects of different types to a collection.

This seems like a very different language from Python if it won't let you do:

    [1, 'a string']

Re: Codon: A high-performance Python-like compiler using LLVM

#60

Post by ubj »

Very interesting--Codon can generate standalone executables, object files, and LLVM IR [1]. It has strong typing for functions and argument return values [2]. Syntax looks more compact than Cython.

Looking forward to giving Codon a try!

[1]: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/general/intro

[2]: https://docs.exaloop.io/codon/language/functions

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