Merge Python Categories

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The forum has categories for Processing.py and p5py. But there are other Python variants that people discuss – for example, py5 seems to be growing in popularity, then there’s pyp5js, too. Some posts span multiple Python categories, and some are more ‘general’ Python discussions/questions.

Perhaps we should merge everything into a single Python Processing category (I’m open to suggestions for a better title) that provides tags for selecting processing.py/p5py/py5/… when composing a post.

This seems more elegant than continuing to add additional Python categories?

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Hmmm, merging into one category seems like a better approach than continuously adding categories that could also be addressed with tags. I like this idea.

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Yes, it is a good idea, so let’s do that. The name Python Processing would be fine.

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+1

I’ve seen on another discourse forum (can’t remember which one) the possibility to select “Python” as a main category and then specify which version in the “optional tags” window. Could be an idea.

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@moderators – if there’s consensus, how do we action this?

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*bump* @jeremydouglass @lmccart @montoyamoraga @fjenett

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Cheers @sableraph! Could you have a look at this proposal?

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Hi @villares. I agree it would be a good idea in theory but it seems less trivial than we might like, requiring to move all previous topics to the new category, with the potential to take the forum down and require rebuilding from a backup. I’m not sure the benefit is worth the risk :confused:

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I see, it is risky business indeed…

Some other ideas… Could we rename the largest of the categories, or create a new one, and archive/freeze the others?

Could someone manually move each post between the categories afterwards?

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Rather than merging them, choose better detailed names for them, like:

  1. “p5py” → “p5py (Python 3)”
  2. “Processing.py” → “Python Mode (Java/Jython)”
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It does make sense @GoToLoop, but I think we could have more “critical mass” converging on a single category… I’m not sure.

As @tabreturn mentioned, there are also people using pyp5js and py5coding.org…

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I did some research on Python syntax for Processing and I think they can be split in 3 categories:

  1. Java Mode API based flavors (lowerCamelCase):

  2. Pythonic API based flavors (snake_case):

  3. p5js API based flavors (also lowerCamelCase, runs online):

1st group is about flavors that most resemble the API from the original Processing’s Java Mode:

Among those 3, Python Mode (Processing.py) is the most important, b/c it’s 1 of the 4 official project flavors from Processing Foundation:

And b/c it’s Jython-based, it has limited access to actual Python libraries, relying on Java libs instead:

A category renaming suggestion for it: “Python Mode & Trinket (Java/Jython libraries)”.

Next group is about flavors that chose a more pythonic snake_case naming for its API.
And integration w/ actual Python libraries in place of Java 1s.
A category renaming suggestion for it: “p5py & p5 (Python 3 libraries)”.

Last group can access both Python & JS libraries and runs on a browser, powered by the p5js flavor.

We could create a p5js subcategory for it: “Python Syntax (pyp5js & PyScript)”.

BtW, PyScript isn’t a Processing/p5js flavor, but a cool way to run Python code on the browser.

PyScript can use both Python & JS libraries, including p5js, q5js, pjs, etc.

Here’s a sketch version I did for PyScript:

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