threading support in python

[Steve Holden]

skip at pobox.com wrote:
>     Sandra> However, I don't expect that the GIL can be safely removed from
>     Sandra> CPython.
> 
> It was removed at one point in the dim, dark past (circa Python 1.4) on an
> experimental basis.  Aside from the huge amount of work, it resulted in
> significantly lower performance for single-threaded apps (that is, the
> common case).  Maybe more effort should have been put in at that time to
> improve performance, but that didn't happen.  Much more water has gone under
> the bridge at this point, so extracting the GIL from the core would be
> correspondingly more difficult.
> 
Given the effort that GIL-removal would take, I'm beginning to wonder if 
PyPy doesn't offer a better way forward than CPython, in terms of 
execution speed improvements returned per developer-hour.

regards
  Steve
-- 
Steve Holden       +44 150 684 7255  +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC/Ltd          http://www.holdenweb.com
Skype: holdenweb       http://holdenweb.blogspot.com
Recent Ramblings     http://del.icio.us/steve.holden