[Python-Dev] quick poll: could int, str, tuple etc. become type objects?

[Mark Hammond]

> If you have not already done so I suggest that you look at
> what MicroSoft .NET is doing in this area. In .NET, for example,
> int is a class and they have the technology to define the
> interface to an int and optimize the performace of the none
> derived cases.

Actually, that is not completely true.  There is a "value type" and a class
version.  The value type is just the bits.  The VM has instructions that
work in the value type.  As far as I am aware, you can not use a derived
class with these instructions.

They also have the concept of "sealed" meaning they can not be subclassed.
Last time I looked, strings were an example of sealed classes.

Mark.