On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 2:58 AM, Dag Sverre Seljebotn
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On 11/22/2010 11:49 AM, Stefan Behnel wrote:
>> Connell, Paul, 22.11.2010 10:03:
>>
>>> Robert Bradshaw, 19 November 2010 23:03
>>>
>>>> https://github.com/cython
>>>>
>>> This might be nitpicking, but "a Python to C compiler" is a questionable
>>> tagline for what Cython is/does... That's a description of something
>>> like shedskin isn't it?
>>>
>> Right, Cython is a lot more than that. I find the "C-extensions for Python"
>> from our homepage a lot broader, the idea being that basically everything
>> you could do with a C extension to CPython, you can do better with Cython.
>>
>
> Problem is that some users may not know what "C-extensions for Python"
> is about. "Python to C compiler" communicates to a much broader range of
> people, who may feel that Python is too slow but don't quite know how to
> go about it.
>
> Considering the purpose of that subject line, I feel the latter is
> better. People who know what a C-extension means will often already have
> heard about Cython and not bother to read the line.

This is exactly whey I wrote the current tagline--I know people who've
written (good) Cython code that wouldn't even know what you were
talking about if you said "C-extension."

> (Also, as is, "C-extensions for Python" sounds like we're a repository
> of extensions, so at least a little rewording is needed.)
>
> I don't feel "Python to C compiler" is wrong. We just plug into and use
> the API provided by CPython.  shedskin also uses a library in a sense,
> although one reimplemented (from scratch?), and that may run a little
> faster. Although I can see the argument that it may make certain people
> think that we can magically turn *any* Python code into lightning fast C
> code...

True. If someone were to ask me, in one word, what Cython was, I would
call it a compiler. I'm open to suggestions, but I don't think
"C-extension" captures the idea (and attention) well for the intended
audience. Also, though it's a bit of an abuse of the term, I think of
"C-extension module" as a handcoded alternative to "Cython extension
module" or "SWIG extension module" or (eventual) "frap extension
module."

- Robert
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