Re: python for irc client

On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 5:14 AM Daniel via Python-list <
python-list@python.org> wrote:

Hi guys -
>
I have historical experience developing sofwtare for my own use. It has
been
quite a while since doing so and the advent of new languages has brought me
here. Python has built quite a reputation. It would be fun to pick up a
new language while I'm at it.
>
I've been a consumer of IRC since the nineties and have been running an
instance of quassel core on an old laptop for the last decade. Over the
years, my use of xwindows has dramatically decreased and I spend 90% of my
computer time with multiple panes of tmux while I do my usual daily fun.
One
thing missing is a good textmode irc client that will connect to quassel
core.
>
I've seen efforts to make a plugin for weechat but, to date, I don't see
much
progress on that end.
>
In your wisdom, would python be a good environment to accomplish this? I'd
likely use extended ascii and colors. The point would be to minimize the
memory footprint of the application.
>
I don't use standard desktop computers anymore - I'm writing this on my
beloved pi400 using emacs.
>
Thanks
>
Daniel
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I think Python would be a great language to write an IRC client in, it's a
rapid-development language, and also Python is particularly good for text
manipulation and the IRC protocol is textual rather than binary. But, if
your only purpose for using Python is to reduce the memory footprint, I'm
not sure. I don't know specifically, but I'd guess Python has a higher
memory footprint than, say, C, because it's a high-level language. For
example, each variable has to be boxed, and also the interpreter has to be
loaded..

Regarding high ASCII, I don't know if that works in IRC, but either way,
ASCII isn't really enough nowadays. You need to support Unicode;
specifically, UTF-8.