http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d924498ae98e05d3
CLP thread about metaprogramming On Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 9:04 AM, Edward K. Ream <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Standing in the shower yesterday after a workout I "discovered" a > problem that might happily engage me for the rest of my life. > > Last year, iirc, I speculated that whatever was next would use the > power of computation. The Aha was seeing that for me the most > interesting "made things" in the world are computer programs. > > The proximate cause of the Aha was studying pythoscope, particularly > the lib2to3 library. The Python documentation for 2to3 says: > > QQQ > [The] 2to3 supporting library lib2to3 is, however, a flexible and > generic library, so it is possible to write your own fixers for 2to3. > lib2to3 could also be adapted to custom applications in which Python > code needs to be edited automatically. > QQQ > > Several people seem to have picked up on the potential of lib2to3. Up > until yesterday, I missed the hint. > > Anyway, the way I describe my career to myself is to say that I have > been making tools to overcome my own personal programming > deficiencies. A tool like lib2to3, and tools like pythoscope (and > autocompleters) built on lib2to3, point the way to ever more powerful > tools that let computer programs assist in the design, building and > testing of other computer programs. > > So this is the Aha: I can continue to do what I've always done, but > expand its application to something much more exciting than editors. > > I'm convinced that the world has just started to use computers for > this purpose, however many tools already exist. I have many ideas in > this area, but the first step is to study the interaction between > pythoscope (and other tools) and lib2to3. I'd like to create some > tools to make the operation of lib2to3 clear using traces or other > approaches, which reminds me that a few dozen lines of code might > greatly enhance Python's standard logging classes. > > In short, I now have a huge problem for which tiny steps are > available. In the realm of creativity, it doesn't get any better than > this. Who would have dreamed pythoscope would have set off such an > avalanche? > > Edward > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "leo-editor" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/leo-editor?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
