API cleanup about transcrypt

[JdeH]

Indeed, if you want to invoke Transcrypt from a Python script, simply importing it doesn't work. Invoking it is possible, but has to be done via the command line, as in shipment_test.py below. It's admitted that this is less elegant than be able to call the compiler directly. I'll register this as an enhancement.

import os
import webbrowser

shipDir = os.path.dirname (os.path.abspath (__file__)) .replace ('\\', '/')
rootDir = '/'.join  (shipDir.split ('/')[ : -2])

def getAbsPath (relPath):
    return '{}/{}'.format (rootDir, relPath)

def test (relPath, fileNamePrefix, run = False, switches = ''):
    os.chdir (getAbsPath (relPath))

    os.system ('run_transcrypt -b -m {}{}.py'.format (switches, fileNamePrefix))    

    if run:
        os.chdir (getAbsPath (relPath))
        os.system ('run_transcrypt -r {}.py'.format (fileNamePrefix))       

    webbrowser.open ('file://{}/{}.html'.format (getAbsPath (relPath), fileNamePrefix), new = 2)
    webbrowser.open ('file://{}/{}.min.html'.format (getAbsPath (relPath), fileNamePrefix), new = 2)

for fcallSwitch in ('', '-f '):
    test ('development/automated_tests/hello', 'autotest', True, fcallSwitch)
    test ('development/automated_tests/transcrypt', 'autotest', True, fcallSwitch)
    test ('demos/hello', 'hello', False, fcallSwitch)
    test ('demos/jquery_demo', 'jquery_demo', False, fcallSwitch)
    test ('demos/d3js_demo', 'd3js_demo', False, fcallSwitch)
    test ('demos/pong', 'pong', False, fcallSwitch)
    test ('demos/turtle_demos', 'star', False, fcallSwitch + '-p .user ')
    test ('demos/turtle_demos', 'snowflake', False, fcallSwitch + '-p .user ')

    if fcallSwitch:
        print ('Shipment test completed')
    else:
        input ('Close browser tabs opened by shipment test and press [enter] for fcall test')

[delijati]

It should be left open if its "postponed"!?

[JdeH]

Stricktly taken: Yes.

By closing it I am trying to make a distinction between short term and long term.

What you're proposing is certainly useful but it requires a reorganization of the compiler that is bound to initially break several things. It is something that only should be done in a period of relative "inertia" of the code.

So I've shoved it from the "open" list (that stares in my face each morning) to the closed list, that doesn't. This is admittedly a psychological trick to not be overwhelmed by what the future holds in store.

Come to think of it, maybe a better way to do this is assigning priority classes and keeping "postponeds" open.

By filtering on priority I could also keep my piece of mind...

[JdeH]

By the way could you give me an assessment of how important this feature is for you. Personally I can live without it, but that isn't the norm.

[JdeH]

After some thought: closing sends the wrong message.
Reopened and prio's introduced:

Must have
Want to have
Nice to have
Could have

The labels are a result of balancing benefit, effort and risk.

KR & thanks for the feedback!
Jacques

[JdeH]

I don't expect this to be handled anytime soon, so I've added the label postponed and will close it again.
Motivation: #258.
Postponed issues can easily be searched since they share the same label.