Bython: Adding Braces to Python – How It Works and How to Install

Python is currently the hottest programming language, largely because AI is booming and Python is the official language for AI development.

Many developers coming from languages like C, PHP, or Java struggle with Python's indentation rules, encountering issues such as mixing tabs and spaces, copying code with mismatched formatting, or spending time fixing whitespace bugs.

In response, a tool called Bython was created – a preprocessor that adds curly braces to Python, effectively turning Python into a language with braces.

Bython is Python with braces. Because Python is awesome, but whitespace is awful.

In plain terms: Bython is Python with braces. Python is great, but indentation is terrible!

Key Features

Forget indentation woes: you can write clean code without worrying about mixed tabs and spaces or copying code with different indentation styles.

Fully compatible with the Python ecosystem: since Bython runs on top of Python, existing libraries such as NumPy and Matplotlib work seamlessly.

Installation

You can install Bython directly from PyPI: sudo -H pip3 install bython Or install from the GitHub source:

git clone https://github.com/mathialo/bython.git
cd bython
sudo -H pip3 install .

To uninstall:

sudo pip3 uninstall bython

How Bython Works

It first translates a Bython file (recommended extension .by) into a standard Python file.

Then it invokes the Python interpreter to run the translated code, so a working Python environment is required.

Running a Bython program: bython source.by arg1 arg2 ... For more options, use: bython -h or view the manual page:

man bython

Python → Bython Translator (py2by)

Convert a regular Python script to a Bython file: py2by test.py For additional parameters:

py2by -h
man py2by

Overall, Bython is a fun experiment for those who prefer braces over indentation, but it’s recommended to stick with standard Python for production code.