how fast is Python?

[Mark Carter]

> > However, there are definitely cases where a lot of code would need to
> > be optimized, and so I ask the question:  How fast is Python, compared
> > to say a typical optimizing C/C++ compiler?

I did a benchmark some time ago (nothing optimised):

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this technical report is to gauge the relative speed of
the languages: VB, VBA, Python 2.2, C++, and Fortran.


SUMMARY RESULTS:
It was discovered that uncompiled VB code in VB 6.0 ran at the same
speed as VBA code in Excel. It was half the speed of compiled VB code,
5 times the speed of Python, and 1/20th the speed of C++/Fortran.

METHOD:

The following algorithm was implemented in each of the target
languages:

	X = 0.5
	For I = 1 to 108
		X = 1 – X* X
	Next

Timings were made for the execution. The following results were
obtained:

Language	Timing (seconds)
VB – uncompiled	74
VB – compiled	37
VBA – Excel	75
Python	401
C++ - debug version	4
C++ - release version	3
Fortran	3


The timings for Fortran are approximate. The execution time had to be
timed with a stopwatch because timing functions could not be
discovered.