[Mono-list] MonoPython?

[David Dawkins]

Nick wrote:
> On Sun, 2001-12-30 at 06:17, David Dawkins wrote:
> > Just curious -- is anyone working on Python for Mono?  
> > 
> > I see that some work by ActiveState has been done on Python for .NET.
>
> In case you haven't seen it there's a link to a paper describing the
> problems Mark Hammond and Greg Stein encountered in implementing Python
> for .NET. See, http://www.activestate.com/Initiatives/NET/Research.html
> for the link. The paper is an MS word doc that, oddly enough, crashed
> word when I opened, but opened fine in Star Office.

Thanks Nick, I saw your first message too. I just didn't get a chance
to check it out yet.

Incidentally, there was posting made to comp.lang.python in a similar
vein yesterday. I include the body of the posting below.

David
--
From: Ron Stephens
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Subject: Mono and Python
Date: 02 January  2002 00:14

I continue to be intrigued by the progress of the Mono project, which is
spear-headed by the controversial Miguel de Icaza. There was a long
article by Miguel about Mono in the recent issue of Linux Journal, and
the project seems to be moving forward nicely.

It is interesting because it is an attempt to achieve cross language
compatibility using a common language runtime and component system based
on the ECMA specs created by Microsoft for the .Net project. Mono is
essentially a partial recreation the .Net runtime environment on Unix
and Linux. Controversial, yes, but interesting.

Slashdot just posted an interview with Miguel de Icaza where they
discuss the present status of Mono and it can be found at
http://slashdot.org/index.pl?section=developers

I am wondering/hoping/speculating whether Python can/will/should
participate. Wouldn't it be nice to have an open source project  to
create a Mython version of Python, a completely compatible version of
Python that would run on the Mono clr, just as Jython runs on the JVM?

I know it would be a huge undertaking, but it would be nice. Maybe it
would be even more important for Python to have a Mono compatible
version than it would be for Python to have a .NET compatible version,
but I don't know.

Maybe both a .NET and a Mono compatible version of Python could be
created by one and the same open source project, given the similarities
between Mono and .Net?

Mark Hammond has commented that creating a .Net version of Python is a
really big job, with a lot of pitfalls along the way. (ActiveState has
created a VisualPython.Net, but that is very different, it is a
capability to use the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE to create Python
programs, but not an ability for Python programs to run on the .Net
common language runtime, or clr.)

Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on any of this?

The recent Miguel de Icaza interview with Slashdot can be found at
http://slashdot.org/index.pl?section=developers

Ron Stephens
http://www.awaretek.com/plf.html