Python compiler

[Paul Prescod]

Eric Merritt wrote:
> 
> Hello All,
> 
>  I am new to python after having converted from java.
> One of the problems I always had with java was the
> lack of a native code compiler. 

That's a strange thing to hold against a language. How does it affect
you? I could build an executable for you in either Java or Python that
was indistinguishable from one that was native code compiled without
disassembling it.

If your complaint is that Java (or Python) is too slow, I think you
should say that. If your complaint is that you can't write standalone
binaries in it (you can), you should say that. I'd like to understand
what you really need so I can tell you whether Python has what you need
or not.

> Will python ever have
> one of these? I have seen references to projects such
> as py2c etc, but they all seem dead. Is there an
> inherent problem in creating a compiler for python or
> is it just very difficult. Unfortuanatly I am not a
> big compiler guru though I would be willing to help if
> I could. Just curious.

Creating a compiler for Python is difficult and as it isn't really
needed to accomplish most people's goals, nobody has done it. We could
put a bunch of effort into it but we'd come back to that executable that
is basically indistinguishable from the one I could give you today
without the compiler.
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