Continuations and threads (was Re: Iterators & generators)

[Christian Tismer]

Gordon McMillan wrote:
> 
> Toby Dickenson wrote:
> 
> > What are the implications for the continuation-naive in a
> > post-stackless world. What about functions such as...
> >
> > def x():
> >     before()
> >     try:
> >         y()
> >     finally:
> >         after()
> >
> > Today, either of three things happen:
> > 1. before() throws
> > 2. before() and after() are called exactly once each
> > 3. x() never returns because y() never returns
> >
> > As I understand continuations, we now have the possibility of y()
> > returning more than once, with after() called more times than before()
> 
> No. In the absence of specific instructions otherwise, the
> frame dispatcher will behave as expected.

I think Toby meant it this way:
consider a weird y() defined as follows

def y():
    global gotcha
    try:
        gotcha
    except:
        gotcha = continuation.caller()

This thingie will save its caller's continuation when run
for the first time. Later on you can simply call

gotcha()

and we are backt at y's call, reciting Toby:
> >         y()
> >     finally:
> >         after()

In other words, we can leave the function more often
than we entered it :-)

ciao - chris

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