Is Python suitable for a huge, enterprise size app?

[Fredrik Lundh]

"Steve M" <sjmaster at gmail.com> wrote

> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2005-January/051255.html
>
> discusses the problem with memory allocation in CPython. Apparently
> CPython is not good at, or incapable of, releasing memory back to the
> operating system.

and unless your operating system is totally braindead, and thus completely unfit
to run huge enterprise size applications, that doesn't really matter much.  leaks
are problematic, large peak memory use isn't.

(fwiw, I'm tempted to argue that people who don't understand how memory
allocation works on modern systems are unfit to run enterprise applications as
well, but that's another story).

btw, very few memory allocators "release memory back to the operating system"
for small allocations; most memory allocators, including Pythons, do that for large
allocations.  try running this, and check the memory use after each step:

>>> x = 10000000 * "x"
>>> y = x[1:]
>>> z = x[2:]
>>> del z
>>> del y
>>> del z

still claiming that CPython's incapable of releasing memory back to the system?

(finding the smallest multiplier that gives the same effect is left as an exercise etc.)

</F>