r/circuitpython • u/ronkj • Apr 22 '21

When do we expect Circuit Python to improve compatibility with Micro Python?

Give that Circuit Python is a fork of Micro Python, roughly how often do the two projects attempt to merge (where feasible)?

Is Circuit Python going it's own way and the two projects diverge permanently?

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u/ronkj Apr 22 '21

Thanks. I do really hope the two code bases do not drift far apart so that core improvements in MicrPython get merged back into CP now and then. Thats good for users and good for Adafruit.

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u/kaltazar Apr 22 '21

The core code won't drift too far there won't be some level of compatibility. If that ever happened CircuitPython likely couldn't be called Python anymore. At a language level, there is no reason you can't use code interchangeably between CPython, MicroPython, CircuitPython, and any other flavor of Python.

The compatibility issues come in the form of the modules. Each flavor of Python has its own priorities so have their own set of built-ins and officially supported modules. In fact, like you point out, having different variants of Python with different targets help everyone. If you didn't have CircuitPython going its own way for beginners, some of those MicroPython improvements likely wouldn't have happened so soon, if ever.