pyvm -- faster python

[Kay Schluehr]

Stelios Xanthakis wrote:
> Hi.
>
> pyvm is a program which can run python 2.4 bytecode (the .pyc files).
> A demo pre-release is available at:
> 	http://students.ceid.upatras.gr/~sxanth/pyvm/
>
>
> Facts about pyvm:
> - It's FAST. According to the "cooked-bench" benchmark suite it
finishes
>    in 55% of the time python takes;)
> - It's SMALL. Currently the source code is under 15k lines with the
>    builtin modules.
> - It's new. Uses no code from CPython.
> - It's incomplete. Not even near the stability and quality of python.
>    It needs A LOT of work before it can be compared to CPython.
>    Moreover, at the time it lacks many things like closures, long
numbers
>    new style classes, etc.
> - It's incompatible with CPython. Not all programs run.
> - The C API is incompatible. You can't run C modules (a thin wrapper
to
>    make pyvm appear as libpython *could* be possible but not a goal
>    AFAIC)
> - The demo is an x86/linux binary only. You shouldn't trust binaries,
>    run it in a chrooted environment not as root!
>
> Hope it works!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Stelios

Hi Stelios,

could You tell us a bit more about Your motivation to create an
alternative C-Python interpreter? There is AFAIK no such ambitious
project that has ever survived. The last one I remember died shortly
after it was born:

http://www.python.org/pycon/papers/pymite/

This is sad because it is still challenging to offer a tiny interpreter
of a dynamic language for glue code/RAD on tiny hardware. A lot of
effort was spent to provide Java for microcontrollers especially for
SmartCards. I think a lot of people would show interest in Your project
if it gets somehow focussed and does not seem to be redundant.

Ciao,
Kay