Re: [Vala] Embed Python into Vala, extend Vala with Python

[Arc Riley <arcriley gmail com>]

> Vala does not need to understand python types (natively) either to create
python extension modules nor to call python.


We've been working on this for some time.  Perhaps you'd like to back this
statement up with an example?

For creating extension modules, python already knows how to wrap the glib
>
types by virtue of python-glib bindings. Moreover, there seem to be
> experimental bindings using the gobject-introspection and when that works,
> any vala library is a python extension module, instanteously, with no
> additional effort.


If only it was this easy.

Neither PyBank, nor any "instantaneously, with no additional effort" module
will ever be able to properly wrap every GObject library.

GObject has features that Python does not, Python has features that GObject
does not, and the two object models are used in entirely different ways.
It's not every case where someone will want to merely "wrap" a GObject
library with no additional code, methods, functions, datatypes, or proper
management to ensure the resulting module is even remotely Pythonic.

PyGTK, for example, is one of the less Pythonic 3rd party packages around
and lacks support for many of the things that makes Python a brilliant, fun
language to work with.

While one may hand-wave over the process of turning lead to gold, the
philosophers stone remains a dream after centuries of mad men working toward
it.  Sometimes it's better to give up alchemy in favor of process that
actually works.