GSoC 2013 ideas page

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some
tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the application deadline
(March 29) in order to strengthen our application.

Please chime in!


Andrei

[bearophile]

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu
I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add
some tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the
application deadline (March 29) in order to strengthen our
application.
Please chime in!

LDC is based on LLVM, so this suggests several small project
ideas, like porting some of the LLVM tools/features designed for
C/C++ to the D-LDC world. Things like:
- Perform more static analysis, like abstract compilation or
linting (Clang does both);
- Develop a simple way to compile D for the browser with
Emscripten to "asm.js" (this is a very small project);
- Perform other run-time tests as done by Clang;
- Use some of the D semantics to improve D code optimization
(Walter talks about this all the time);
- Implement better high level optimizations for D code that uses
array ops.

Bye,
bearophile

[Walter Bright]

I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some tomorrow;
we should have quite a few before the application deadline (March 29) in order
to strengthen our application.
Please chime in!

LDC is based on LLVM, so this suggests several small project ideas, like porting
- Perform more static analysis, like abstract compilation or linting (Clang does
both);
- Develop a simple way to compile D for the browser with Emscripten to "asm.js"
(this is a very small project);
- Perform other run-time tests as done by Clang;
- Use some of the D semantics to improve D code optimization (Walter talks about
this all the time);
- Implement better high level optimizations for D code that uses array ops.

Add 'em to the wiki, bearophile!

[lomereiter]

Once remaining issues with shared libraries are resolved, it
becomes feasible to use D code from dynamic languages. Clearly
it's vital to provide easy path for calling it from Python, as
it's used by most scientists. Although there's PyD, last few
years saw rising interest in PyPy because it shows much better
performance than CPython.
For PyPy, the way to go seems to be generating extern(C) wrappers
for classes/functions/etc. + CFFI bindings
(http://cffi.readthedocs.org/) for that C code.
First part of this can be reused for producing C++ wrapping code
-- this is similar in goals to dtoh
(http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=9285) but here
entities to be wrapped should be explicitly mentioned. Extra
benefit of producing C++ bindings is ability to call SWIG on them
to support other languages. So, perhaps, C++ is the number one
target in this respect.

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu
I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some
tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the application deadline
(March 29) in order to strengthen our application.
Please chime in!
Andrei

I seeded http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas with some of the ideas
posted here. Please add to them, thanks!

In order to get accepted and fetch more than the customary 1-3 slots, we
need to have a strong mentors lineup (check) and a good pool of ideas
ready before deadline on Friday. At this point we're brainstorming, so
no idea is too crazy. Do it!!!


Andrei

[deadalnix]

On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 at 14:56:08 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu
I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some
tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the application
deadline
(March 29) in order to strengthen our application.
Please chime in!
Andrei

I seeded http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas with some of the
ideas posted here. Please add to them, thanks!
In order to get accepted and fetch more than the customary 1-3
slots, we need to have a strong mentors lineup (check) and a
good pool of ideas ready before deadline on Friday. At this
point we're brainstorming, so no idea is too crazy. Do it!!!

Proposed some idea around SDC. I'm also available to mentor
anything around druntime or phobos (I'm way less confident with
dmd).

[Joseph Rushton Wakeling]

I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some tomorrow; we
should have quite a few before the application deadline (March 29) in order to
strengthen our application.
Please chime in!

A few for people to comment on before anything gets added to the page:

-- QtD and GtkD. I'm not 100% up to date on the status of these (I write
numerical simulations, not applications...) but these should surely be
brought up to date with the latest versions of Qt and GTK+. Having a
well-working QtD seems to me important given the recent announcements
by Ubuntu favouring Qt (I'm thinking, Qt + Ubuntu Touch + D compiling on
ARM offers some nice opportunities...).

-- I'd second the call for really good integration with Python and for
ARM support.

-- Making the frontend, runtime and Phobos fully backend-agnostic so that
new versions can be merged into other compilers (GDC, LDC, ...) with a
minimal amount of work.

-- A complete set of containers (emphasis on Set:-) for std.containers, and
also address the performance issues that have been identified with current
implementations.

-- Reimplement random number generators as well designed reference types.

-- A std.bigfloat to go alongside std.bigint.

-- Didn't someone say std.numeric needed to be rebuilt from the ground up?

[Jakob Ovrum]

On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 at 20:19:22 UTC, Joseph Rushton

Post by Joseph Rushton Wakeling
-- A complete set of containers (emphasis on Set:-) for
std.containers, and
also address the performance issues that have been
identified with current
implementations.

I think std.container is basically waiting for custom allocators
before expanding in full force, as it is predicted that a custom
allocator interface integrated into Phobos will affect both new
and old containers.

What is the status on allocators, anyway?

[Joseph Rushton Wakeling]

I think std.container is basically waiting for custom allocators before
expanding in full force, as it is predicted that a custom allocator interface
integrated into Phobos will affect both new and old containers.
What is the status on allocators, anyway?

One more for GSoC, then? :-)

[Jakob Ovrum]

On Wednesday, 27 March 2013 at 20:53:48 UTC, Joseph Rushton

Post by Joseph Rushton Wakeling
One more for GSoC, then? :-)

Indeed, though a word from the present author of the custom
allocator interface (I believe dsimcha/David Simcha was working
on it?) would be nice.

[Dmitry Olshansky]

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu
I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some
tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the application deadline
(March 29) in order to strengthen our application.
Please chime in!

Threw in a contingency plan for D to invade the bare metal enthusiast
sector :)

Jokes aside having an ARM Cortex RTOS with e.g. Boost license is a major
selling point, together with a better language it could seal the deal
for some small embedded shops.

It's hardly a piece of cake to achieve in one summer though :o).

[Samuel Lampa]

Post by Andrei Alexandrescu
I just started http://wiki.dlang.org/GSOC_2013_Ideas. I'll add some
tomorrow; we should have quite a few before the application deadline
(March 29) in order to strengthen our application.
Please chime in!

I Just got an idea ... too late I guess? Should I create a GSOC 2014
page and add it there? :)

// Samuel