Experiences converting Python to C++

[Stephen R. Figgins]

On 17 Aug 2001 05:52:30 -0700, Henrik Ekelund <henrik_ekelund at yahoo.com> wrote:
>We have to convert a large system (10000 lines) written in Python to
>C++. Does anybody have experience with doing an actual conversion of a
>working Python prototype to C++? We will probably have to offer the
>work at a fixed price, so how many hours does it take to convert X
>lines of Python code to C++? Are there any pitfalls?

Depends on the 10,000 lines.  What other libraries might it use?
Python, with its batteries included lets you write things in fewer
lines than C++.  10,000 lines of Python might be 40,000 or more lines
in C++.  The pythonic approach might not be the same as the C++
approach.

On the plus side, you have a working prototype of exactly what you
want, so design of your objects and how they will interract is already
taken care of.  Since that can take up a large amount of a project's
time, you might be able to cut the development time in half.  

Probably the only one who can guess at how long it will take is the
person who is going to do the work.  Maybe you should write out the
requirements, indicate you have a working prototype in Python, and
have some people bid on it.

Stephen