MonoDevelop IronPython binding

While playing with Python, then with IronPython, and finally while preparing a talk about the latter at the Mono Devroom at FOSDEM (last February), I implemented a basic MonoDevelop language binding for IronPython, and now after some minor polishing I'm presenting what would be the 0.1 version.

You can think of this addin as a port of the basic-but-working Python binding for MonoDevelop, modified to use the actual IronPython asemblies (coming partially bundled, with the help of them being Apache licensed), and thus use its AST, parser on other routines instead of those ones of the standard Python implementation. And well, some sugar here and there for specific stuff.

That being said, it's not as complete as the C# support in MonoDevelop, but surely it will allow you to play around. Some of the important things to remember while trying it:

• Disable the MonoDevelop Python addin. It happens that MD tries to detect a handle for a file being opened (something.py) and it will likely give priority to the Python one.
• Even if the IronPython/DLR assemblies are bundled, we are just doing it partially (to use the required bits). Thus you need to install IronPython yourself.
• Windows is not supported at the time, since the completion engine (borrowed from the MD Python addin) uses Mono.Data.Sqlite, which happens to not work under Windows (due to a bug). Hopefully this will be fixed with a new completion engine I'm working on.

To try it, just clone github.com/carlosalberto/IronPythonBinding . (I plan to offer it as a Test addin in the MonoDevelop addin repository after I figure out some issues there.)

Before actually playing with it, don't forget to configure the actual runtime/interpreter: Simply go to Edit->Preferences->IronPython (a better and sweeter dialog is coming for this, btw):

Of course, there are many items on the TODO (like squeezing the IronPython/DLR assemblies, improve the indentation and completion engines -ongoing-, include decent support for policy sets, etc), so the plan is to incrementally work on them. Of course, any contribution is welcome ;-)

.Net/Mono Code Camp

I will be attending next october to the .Net/Mono Code Camp, where there will be conferences about the latest goodies in .Net, as well as -of course- some of the most interesting bits in the Mono land. The event is going to take place exactly on october 17th and 18th in Tarragona, Spain, and I expect to have a lot of fun there.

I will be giving a general Mono presentation with our last bits here and there, and since none of our great Moonlight hackers is coming, I will be also giving a talk about the Moonlight land. But the most interesting part is that hacker extraordinaire Lluis Sanchez is comingo talk about the awesome MonoDevelop as well as about Mono.Addins, a powerful plugin framework used in the previously mentioned project.

I think it's will also be interesting that the Codice Software crew, the guys behind Plastic SCM, will be there to give a talk also. They have been of great help for us, giving feedback, filling bugs, sending patches, etc. Their talk will be about their experience using Mono as a cross platform solution, which I'm already looking forward.

The agenda, just as Lluis mentions, include Mono, Moonlight, MonoTouch (development for the iPhone), MonoDevelop, Mono.Addins, and much more.

EDIT: Oops, I forgot to say that the registrarion is open - so, if you plan to attend, register here.

Working in an office

Just like Lluis, I had been working alone from home for the last years, and after some time I began to feel a little curious about working in an office (which I had never done before), which would also mean: see real people every day, less distractions, free coffee, etc.

So I had the chance to work in the Suse Prague offices for a pair of weeks, and I have to say that even if it was only for some days, I began to feel a little more focused and less distracted (and it would be better if we had any Mono hacker around ;-) ).

Besides that, the obvious: Prague is a quite nice city, with castles, statues, and a lot of cheap and very good beer.

Hopefully I will be able to work in an office the next year - somewhere ;-)

BindingSource 2.0

Following Jonathan Pobst big finale, I was immediately going to write about BindingSource (2.0 windows.forms, data binding class) and the fact that it's behaviour is not deeply explained the msdn docs (I realized this after implementing some bits based on pure sample testing and deductions, having descriptions like "returns X, Y member", which was clearly not enough in some cases).

Even if we have now tests for every 2.0 member of data binding and BindingSource, I still have the feeling that we probably are missing some bits on that class, and that's why I'm requesting everyone out there using data binding to test your app with Mono!

Observe that I have already been trying a pair of small/medium apps using it, but nothing interesting has appeared yet. That will change soon, hopefully.

Y sobre Moonlight

Well, this is a basically a post in spanish, because basically I have to explain and say some things about Moonlight to some pals here around. And because I'm pretty sure some others will do the same in english (beginning with Miguel), then I proceed.

Sobre Moonlight patentes y chismes varios


Una de las cosas que más ha dado de hablar en los últimos días es precisamente la cooperación para entre Novell y Microsoft con respecto a Moonlight (nuestra versión de Silverlight). Sabíamos de antemano que por una parte, habría muchas preguntas y cuestiones importantes a aclarar, y al mismo tiempo, mucha gente diciendo cosas sin el menor sustento (como es muy común en el SL).

Ahora, primero quiero aclarar que esto no es tan fácil como decir si reprobamos o no nuestro curso, o si fuimos honestos. Las fábulas no nos sirven en muchas escenarios, como éste, precisamente.

Ahora, la cuestión en efecto es que hay una parte de la colaboración que establece que al descargar Moonlight de los sitios de Novell no hay problemas en cuanto a patentes.

Y el tema de patentes desde luego está lejos de ser un tema fácil, pero también es cierto que la gente no suele tener una *che idea de lo que realmente es. Como muchas personas lo han dicho ya, es un problema importante en la industria del software, porque por una parte se están patentando ideas que son la progresión natural de otras, y por otra parte, se patentan cosas ya hechas hace mucho tiempo. En otras palabras, el sistema de patentes apesta.

Ahora, afirmar que Moonlight no es libre porque al descargarlo bajo ciertas circunstancias es muy probable que te demanden (lo cual, no, no es chido) está lejos de ser cierto. Es decir, se pueden recibir demandas casi por cualquier cosa hecha, porque muchas técnicas de software ya están patentadas. Así que no importa si usas Python o si usas C, o si usas C# o Perl, porque puede que te caiga una demanda por patentes, y eso te puede caer -patentes- sobre cualquier aplicación de SL. Entendámonos: que puedas ser demandado por violación de patentes no hace que tu software deje de ser libre.

Ahora, en mi opinión, la cuestión tiene más que ver con una cierta desconfianza hacia Microsoft, por que se argumenta de sus prácticas nocivas y demás. Pero bueno, eso tendré que mencionarlo en otro post.

* Curiosidad: La técnica de listas ligadas que todo programador usa, y que data de hace un par de décadas, ha sido patentada recientemente. Así que como seguramente Gnome o KDE usan las listas ligadas, y por tanto, pueden ser demandadas por violar dicha patente, automágicamente dejan ambos proyectos de ser libres (según el incorrecto razonamiento previo, por supuesto).

Abortion in Mexico

Abortion has always been a difficult topic, and much more in Mexico. In the latest weeks it was proposed in the Legislative Assembly of Mexico’s Federal District to legalize the partial decriminalization of abort, which caused the furious answer of the right-wing in Mexico, that in union with a group of business men and the catolic church, is trying to use again the fear campaign used the last year agains left-wing candidate to the federal government.

Human Rights Watch has an article about decriminalizing abortion. Here some interesting bits:

Safe and legal access to abortion is a human rights concern. All of our experiences have shown that women suffer terrible consequences when access to abortion is blocked and criminalized.

The deputies are also considering reforms to improve access to contraceptives and to sex education and information.

Here a related note in spanish.

Abortion and the right wing

Proceso has also an interesting article about the reaction of the right wing, which is trying to stop the decriminalization. The problem begins with the not-recognized-by-me president, Fecal.

Felipe Calderon, president of Mexico, representant of the mexican lay state, has broken the legality by declaring against the decriminalization of the abortion, using catolic terms.

As in the campaign of the 2006, the PAN people, business men, the conservative catolic church and Calderon are again using the television with his campaign against the PRD.

In 2006 the dirty campaign designed by the norteamerican Dick Morris, hired by Calderon and the PAN gave as result a confronted society. Now in 2007 the new campaign of the PAN, together with the catolic church and the business men of right wing have began not only to divide the mexican society, but to polarize it.

The health secretary, José Ángel Córdoba said the that the last year there were only 88 deaths by this cause. However, the PRD is using oficial numbers of the National Poblation Bureau (CONAPO) showing that in Mexico there are 533 thousend abortions per year in unhealthy conditions and with mortal risks.

Televisa is showing interviews and notes about women who are regretful of abortion. But there's no information about the women who have decided to abort by economical, familiar, social or even health aspects.

The article in spanish here.

The Power

Today I found this really nice image:

Definitely Elba Esther Gordillo is getting payed by the help she gave to the not-recognized-by-a-lot-of-people president Calderon in his dirty campaign last year. The last proof of that is the recent change to the ISSTE.