Re: Small embeddable scripting language ?

[John Palmieri <johnp martianrock com>]

On Thu, 2002-11-28 at 05:43, N. Wieland wrote:
> 
> - biswapesh_chatterjee tcscal co in :
> > 
> > Hi
> 
> Hi ! :)
> 
> > I'm looking for a scripting engine for Anjuta. It would be used for
> > extending functionality through user-defined tools as well as a
> > templating language for wizards. The requirements are:
> > 
> > 1) Small (since we'll probably have to distribute it with Anjuta)
> > 2) Reasonably fast
> > 3) Embeddable from C programs
> > 4) Ability to register/call C functions
> > 5) Free
> 
> I would suggest Python. It's not too small, but AFAIK it's included in
> all the most known Linux distributions and *BSD.
> With 2, 3, 4, 5 you're describing Python :)

I would also like to put my vote in for Python.   I have been looking
around for a good, easy to learn and extend embedable language.  Python
fits that bill well.  First of all it is very well documented with both
the free docs at python.org and the commercial ones that can be bought
at the book store.  Second, it is easly embeded and integrated with C or
C++.  Python was made to be melded with C code.  Third, the python core
library is not all that big.  The size comes mostly from associated
modules that do not have to be loaded.  Most modern distros come with
python and a lot of its modules already installed.  RedHat uses python
for their install.  Forth, Python is already integrated with GTK and
GNOME in as far as you can write apps with GTK and GNOME libraries in
Python.  And last, at least in my list, is that Python code can be
executed in a sandboxed (restricted) environment for programs that would
have to execute untrusted code.

> > My guess is that we are not the first project looking for this since it
> > seems to be a pretty obvious thing to do once things get bigger than a
> > certain size. So far, I like Lua (http://www.lua.org/) - however, the
> > syntax seems a bit weird - I'd prefer a minimal learning curve for
> > people (including me).
> 
> I don't know LUA but IMHO Python is really fast to learn, something like
> a weekend and the tutorial included in the official Python docs...
Again I second this and on top of easy to learn it is also easy to read
somone elses code which is not true of some other scripting languages.

> > So, my question is: is there any 'official' GNOME policy for this ? If
> > not, what do you suggest ? What did porojects facing a similar situation
> > choose ? Can someone point me to a reasonably simple implementation ?
> > 
> > Thanks in advance.
> 
> My 0.2 of course ^^
> 

I think if somone was to go ahead with this they might as well make it
generic enough that it can be integrated into other projects.  GNOME
should have some sort of policy, perhaps not dictating what language to
use per say but choosing one to start with and modling any other
language intergation after the first attept.  This should eventualy make
it easyer for any application to embed any scripting language GNOME
supports without much hassle.

--
J5