Guide to the python interp. source?

[Neil Schemenauer]

Tim Gahnström /Bladerman wrote:
> Is there a guide or a recomended way to "get to know" the source code to the
> python interpreter?

Not that I know of.  Here are a few pointers:

 * Python/ceval.c:eval_frame is the heart of the virtual machine.  This
   is were most of the work is done.  Use the 'dis' module to
   disassemble bytecode to get an idea of how the VM works.  For
   example:

    >>> def foo():
    ...   return 10 + 20
    ... 
    >>> import dis
    >>> dis.dis(foo)
              0 SET_LINENO               1

              3 SET_LINENO               2
              6 LOAD_CONST               1 (10)
              9 LOAD_CONST               2 (20)
             12 BINARY_ADD          
             13 RETURN_VALUE        
             14 LOAD_CONST               0 (None)
             17 RETURN_VALUE        

 * The data structures in Include/object.h are key.  You should 
   study PyObject, PyVarObject and PyTypeObject.

 * Most builtin objects live in the 'Objects' directory.  There is
   usually one file for each object.  Some objects have header
   information in 'Include'.

 * The parser lives in 'Parser' and the compiler is in 'Python'.  I
   would recommend studying the compiler written in Python (in
   Lib/compiler) rather than the one written in C.

HTH,

  Neil