[Libre-soc-dev] dataclasses in hdl -- was: copying from irc: you broke it

[lkcl]

to expand on the use of dataclasses in nmigen: nmigen is
a tool.  it is possible to tell trainee HDL engineers "not your
problem, just use it".

we may have to get somewhere between 10 and 50 HDL
engineers who have absolutely no python or OO experience
whatsoever up to speed in an extremely short amount of
time.

the absolute last thing on earth we need is for them to have
to know in detail some of the most complex and exotic parts
of python, they won't be able to cope.

you and i jacob have the ability to learn advanced topics extremely
quickly.  that does *not* mean that everyone else in the world can.
therefore we need to *limit* what is used to a subset of what new
features are put in front of other people, so that they can cope.

if it is the latest best most advanced feature which takes time to
explain it has to take a back seat.

we have too much to do to take risks introducing more features
of python.

ON THE OTHER HAND in a tool such as nmigen where we will
have ultra-specialist programmers with extreme expertise, the
use of dataclasses *if appropriate* is perfectly acceptable
precisely because nobody but those ultra-specialist programmers
need know what the hell is going on.

l.