Python hits the spot

[Siegfried Gonzi]

Bengt Richter wrote:

> 
> You apparently have a lot of different stuff glued together. Have you tested the
> separate pieces separately? Do you have some test problems that you can use to validate
> numerical results *exactly* (trailing decimal differences need an explanation. They
> can be benign/acceptable or not).

The Mie code (C function) works, because on Windows I wrote a program 
under DISLIN in order to depict the phase function, and I can use the 
same program under Linux without problems. The Fortran function works 
too (the Fortran function is really a tiny piece and straightforward in 
contrast to the C function which is a third party insane pointer hell). 
The C code itself is essentially the same:  on Windows I compiled it 
with SWIG and Microsoft Visual C++ and on Linux I used gcc and SWIG; but 
the name of the function is actually the same. The same goes for all the 
other functions and directories.


> I hate to see Python (or anything) bashed without proof. So far I haven't seen the proof,
> nor an explanation.
> 
> If your code is open source, maybe someone will be interested in discovering why
> it bogs Python down (or Python bogs it down ;-)

The code is open source but not very well documented. But I can send it 
to you if you like. You can also get the data if you like.

First, I thought there is something wrong with my data because I have it 
converted  from DOS to UNIX with: dos2unix.

There is an interesting thing to observe: On Windows I am likely to hit 
the 100MB threshold, but on Unix I only hit 10MB (and sometimes 20MB). 
At least "top" shows me that.


You can get all the functions if you like. I would only have to get it 
from my laptop back to my stationary machine.

Drop me a note if you want the functions and data. I can prepare it that 
way that it will be ready to use for you.

What I further noticed. On Windows the Task manager tells me that in the 
first 20 minutes Python uses constantly 99% of the processor power. The 
same goes under Linux, but after that 20 minutes it sucks down to 87% on 
Linux and on Windows! Note: same functions and that 8 times!

S. Gonzi