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

[Guido van Rossum]

> Or, since we're talking implementation, we could use the following hack,
> which I borrowed from Standard ML of New Jersey:
[...]

This is a well-known scheme.  We used it in ABC 20 years ago.  My
experience with it was negative though: there were too many core dumps
because some code was dereferencing a pointer without checking the low
bit.

So I'd rather not try this.  I also somehow doubt that the speed gains
are that significant.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)