python.el versus python-mode.el [was Re: python.el fixes for Emacs 22]

[Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org>]

"Ken Manheimer" wrote:

> i do hope someone could describe the differences.  i'm curious why
> something besides python-mode.el was even necessary in the first
> place.  just copyright assignment obstacles?

I know nothing about either mode, but the author of python.el has a ~
1000 line patch for python-mode.

http://www.loveshack.ukfsn.org/emacs/python-mode.el.diff

See also the comments at the start of python.el:

http://www.loveshack.ukfsn.org/emacs/python.el

;; There is another Python mode, python-mode.el, used by XEmacs and
;; maintained with Python.  That isn't covered by an FSF copyright
;; assignment, unlike this code, and seems not to be well-maintained
;; for Emacs (though I've submitted fixes).  This mode is rather
;; simpler and is better in other ways.  In particular, using the
;; syntax functions with text properties maintained by font-lock makes
;; it more correct with arbitrary string and comment contents.

;; This doesn't implement all the facilities of python-mode.el.  Some
;; just need doing, e.g. catching exceptions in the inferior Python
;; buffer (but see M-x pdb for debugging).  [Actually, the use of
;; `compilation-shell-minor-mode' now is probably enough for that.]
;; Others don't seem appropriate.  For instance,
;; `forward-into-nomenclature' should be done separately, since it's
;; not specific to Python, and I've installed a minor mode to do the
;; job properly in Emacs 23.  [CC mode 5.31 contains an incompatible
;; feature, `c-subword-mode' which is intended to have a similar
;; effect, but actually only affects word-oriented keybindings.]

;; Other things seem more natural or canonical here, e.g. the
;; {beginning,end}-of-defun implementation dealing with nested
;; definitions, and the inferior mode following `cmuscheme'.  (The
;; inferior mode can find the source of errors from
;; `python-send-region' & al via `compilation-shell-minor-mode'.)
;; There is (limited) symbol completion using lookup in Python and
;; Eldoc support also using the inferior process.  Successive TABs
;; cycle between possible indentations for the line.

;; Even where it has similar facilities, this mode is incompatible
;; with python-mode.el in some respects.  For instance, various key
;; bindings are changed to obey Emacs conventions.