CompilePython.com: Capturing Community Knowledge on Compiling Python for Real-World Software

Poster presented at SC4RC. Original description below:

https://indico.cern.ch/event/1526482/contributions/7027754/

This contribution introduces CompilePython.com, a community-driven project bootstrapped in February 2026.

Python is widely used in research, but it is often slower than compiled languages such as C++ or Rust. The combination of widespread use and performance leads to a green compute problem. Slower software means more compute time, more energy, and more CO₂.

Compiling Python for real-world software sounds straightforward - until you try it on actual projects.

There are many tools and experiments, but practical knowledge is fragmented. What works? What breaks? What subset of Python compiles reliably in practice? What trade-offs are involved when moving beyond examples to production-style code?

CompilePython.com provides a collaboration space for researchers and practitioners to document real-world experience of compiling Python: successes, failures, working subsets, and engineering constraints. It is not a compiler or a finished product, but a GitHub Pages-based site focused on credible, experience-led guidance.

In 2026 the project will host informal "Lightning Camps" centred on real projects, tool comparison, and sustainability implications grounded in practice.

The contribution outlines the motivation, current stage, and roadmap, and invites contributions from others tackling similar challenges.