[Python-Dev] Re: Re: Int FutureWarnings and other 2.4 TODOs

[Fred L. Drake, Jr.]

Andrew Koenig writes:
 > An int is a 31-bit integer, INCLUDING sign.  One extra bit indicates whether
 > the integer is really a number or, alternatively, a pointer to the rest of
 > the representation.
 > 
 > Now, you may object that implementing this strategy in C will require lots
 > of shifting and masking.  I would have thought so, too.  However, every C
 > implementation of which I am aware puts all but the most trivial data
 > structures on boundaries of two or more bytes.  This fact frees the
 > LOW-order bit of the integer to indicate whether it is a pointer.

I recently mentioned this approach to coaxing an extra bit from an
existing structure to Tim, and he pointed out (rightly!) that this
only works for machines with byte-addressable memories.  On
word-addressable memories, there's no chance to coax the extra bit
from a pointer at all, and Python still runs on at least one such
platform (some Cray thing, IIRC).

Otherwise I like the approach.  ;-)


  -Fred

-- 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.  <fdrake at acm.org>
PythonLabs at Zope Corporation