Is python very slow compared to C

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 13:52:03 -0800, bearophileHUGS wrote:

> Yes this language is very slow, 

Very slow to do what, compared to what? The decay time of the tau meson?

Slowness is not an absolute quantity. Slowness is relative, and comments
like "Python is very slow" just reinforces the meme that execution speed
is the only important factor -- even if you follow up with a good (and
correct) description of why raw CPU speed is rarely an issue, it is too
late, you've reinforced the meme "only C is good".

I would challenge the assertion that *any* serious modern language is
"very slow" on modern hardware in any meaningful sense. There are plenty
of *specific tasks* which are too slow when written in one language or
another, but that's not the same thing.


-- 
Steven.