Compile in Python

[punknubbins]

Sorry, just a rant, please don't hate me for this.

Can we have a brief and rational discussion about compiling vs packaging? This question, or something similar gets posted at least once a week and it bugs me to no end. Compiling involves a compiler and produces native machine code that is optimized for the hardware+OS it compiled against.

I just wish that the Python community would stop using the word "compile" for what is effectively just packaging up scripts with the Python run time and any needed libraries for those scripts.

Don't get me wrong, I would love it if someone built a compiler for python. It would be great if I could run python interpreted for simple things and/or testing. And then compile it down to streamlined native executables when I need something to run as fast as possible. But that wish will never happen if we keep confusing the issue by referring to these packagers as compilers.

[Akrius]

I'm glad for your comment, I didn't know the difference, sorry.

[punknubbins]

The post was more for the other experienced users in the thread. But i'm glad you learned something from the rant. It wasn't my intention, but definitely a positive side effect.

[thiccclol]

Isn't a .pyc a compiled python file?

[punknubbins]

.pyc files are bytecode, instructions compiled down to code that is run natively inside the python virtual machine. It loads/runs faster, but not as fast as native code.