[Python-Dev] coroutines vs. continuations vs. threads

[Ken Manheimer]

Jeremy Hylton:

> I have to admit that I'm a bit unclear on the motivation for all
> this.  As Gordon said, the state machine approach seems like it would
> be a good approach.

If i understand what you mean by state machine programming, it's pretty
inherently uncompartmented, all the combinations of state variables need
to be accounted for, so the number of states grows factorially on the
number of state vars, in general it's awkward.  The advantage of going
with what functional folks come up with, like continuations, is that it
tends to be well compartmented - functional.  (Come to think of it, i
suppose that compartmentalization as opposed to state is their mania.)

As abstract as i can be (because i hardly know what i'm talking about)
(but i have done some specifically finite state machine programming, and
did not enjoy it),

Ken
klm at digicool.com