[IPython-user] [IPython-dev] Development plans update

[Brian Granger]

> Now that I think about it, why not use the existing %bg magic command to
> force an asynchronous command to happen?  That way, it wouldn't be
> necessary the existence of different synchronous/asynchronous modes,
> but rather, the default would always be synchronous and the user will
> decide when he wants to throw an asynchronous job.  This also may help
> in deciding how a double TAB should complete (i.e. variables depending
> on jobs in 'background' should never be tried to be completed).

The Important thing to remember is that all commands (%bg included)
are not parsed or processed by the frontend.  They are sent on to the
backend for parsing and execution.  Thus, if we keep %bg around it
will cause something to be run in the background (likely a thread) of
the backend itself.  This is rather different from running the command
in the backend itself in non-blocking mode.

But, there is nothing preventing the frontend from pre-parsing the
input.  This is something we might want to think about using for this
purpose.  But, I think it would be different from the traditional
ipython magic commands (prefixed with %) that are handled by the
backend.  Maybe a new class of magics for the frontend with a
different syntax?

> Just thinking aloud,
>
>
> --
> >0,0<   Francesc Altet     http://www.carabos.com/
> V   V   Cárabos Coop. V.   Enjoy Data
>  "-"
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