how fast is Python?

[Raymond Hettinger]

"dan"
> 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?

The extension modules run at optimized C speed because they *are*
optimized C.

For pure python applications, Psyco can provide just-in-time native
compilation.

Tim once said that anything written using Python's dictionaries are
zillions of times faster that anything else.  There is a grain of truth
in that because Python makes it so easy to create efficient data
structures that their performance can surpass less data
structures written in assembly or C.

All that being said, Python is designed for those who value
programmer time more than they value clock cycles.


Raymond Hettinger