This is an opportunity to get your hands dirty with Python in an environment with other Python developers. We're using the Mercurial (hg) Distributed Version Control System (DVCS), on Google Code. So you'll also get some experience using a DVCS system, Google Code, and participating as a first class member of an open source project. The work flows and thinking are quite different for hg than subversion, and the group dynamics are different for open source vs. a commercial enterprise!

Our project is developing a new programming language for microcontrollers (initially targeting the AVR processor). All of the compiler and IDE development will be in Python, since it all runs on the PC.

This new language will explore concepts like allowing the programmer to write "functions" that act like little compilers, to allow them to create, for example, new types of control structures.

The compiler is also integrated into an IDE environment. Thus, some "programming" can be reduced to filling in a form in the IDE. This keeps the syntax that must be learned to a minimum.

The compiler keeps it's own information in the database so that it sees the "big picture", rather than only one function at a time. This information is also used by the IDE to provide the programmer with more information about the program, such as cross reference information and function execution times.

One of our goals is to put microcontroller programming within the reach of non-programmers.

This project has a little bit of something for everyone! There's scanners and parsers, relational DB, UI work, and compiler back-end work. And who knows what else as we get further into it!

If you want to join this project, you will need to also join the http://code.google.co... on google code and the http://groups.google.... discussion forum on google groups.