Re: Significant restructuring of the 3.x codebase

Mike C. Fletcher wrote:
> I've just checked in a fairly significant restructuring of the 3.x 
> (OpenGL-ctypes) codebase.  What this does is to use the latest ctypes 
> auto-generator (actually a fairly heavily refactored version of it) to 
> produce a separate package hierarchy (OpenGL.raw) which contains the raw 
> OpenGL C-style API.  This API can be used by ctypes-aware code that uses 
> C-style interfaces, it also allows for coding around problems where the 
> PyOpenGL abstraction layer happens to get in the way.
>
> One thing to note is that all of the constants and functions are now 
> produced by the auto-generator, this means that there is sometimes more 
> machinery in the module than you would expect (e.g. the GLX module now 
> has large parts of the X API).  At the moment I'm thinking (in the case 
> of GLX) much of that machinery is actually useful (if somewhat 
> misplaced).  e.g. the functions for screen saver development are likely 
> in there now.  Probably filter them out at some point I suppose.
>   
It strikes me that a 'raw' API release like this, followed lease by or 
released concurrently with a more sophisticated Pythonic API, is the 
model to follow for most Python ports of mature C/C++ projects. It 
lowers the transition bar for both the existing user base and the Py 
port developer since a) the C/C++ users don't have to learn a new API on 
top the required Python newness, b) the documentation is essentially 
already in place*, c) the autogen nature of the raw port makes it easier 
to maintain absent the full concentration of the primary Py developer, 
and finally d) as consequence of a,b,&c the bug reports are likely to be 
more valid/correct. The Pygame ctypes port, with all its good work, is 
illustrative of the problems caused by skipping the raw API (e.g. 
threatened forks etc.)

* this BTW makes it straightforward to auto include the documentation as 
Py doc strings in the raw module.
Mark

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