Re: plugin compiler

> Python for its own is a questionable dependency if it is used only in 
> the buildsystem. Adding a (non common?) parser library as dependency is 
> not good.

Concerning python, I'm not 100% sure yet. You are right that it would be
better not to depend on python at all - but it seems to me a much better 
language for implementing a simple compiler.
On the linux side, I believe that python is shipped (and even installed 
per default) on every major distribution. And for windows there are 
user-friendly installers (i.e. there is no need for cygwin).

>> Each generator requires a special library to be installed. Since 
>> everyone who wants to compile GePhex will need the parser, this would 
>> be a significant annoyance for many people.
> 
> The spec compiler is only needed by module developers, cause the 
> generated files could be added to the dist. If we change the buildsystem 
> this way the python interpreter will be just a build-dist dependency.

But this would put a lot of redundant information into the dist.
(In the current system there are 3 autogenerated files for every spec 
file, and I think the autogenerated code size will increase quite a bit 
with the new system).

Georg