Re: speeding up python

Chris Hoffmann (choffman@vicorp.com)
Thu, 16 Dec 93 16:23:13 EST

I agree with Philip that this would take away many of the features
that made our group decide to use Python. Now, if on a
module-by-module basis you could decide whether to use these new
features and then "optimize compile" just that module, that would be
great.

I also have have mixed feelings about the garbage collector. On the
one hand, the circular list problem is serious, especially if you want
to use Python as an embedded language in a long-running application
instead of as a super scripting language. On the other hand, at least
reference counting is fairly uniformly slow. If the garbage collector
created noticable pauses during execution that could be almost as
serious a problem as not collecting circlular lists, at least in some
situations.

Chris

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Chris Hoffmann VI Corporation
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