Python un-plugging the Interpreter

[Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch]

In <xRRVh.11903$Kd3.4637 at newssvr27.news.prodigy.net>, John Nagle wrote:

>     Many cases are easy.  If a smart compiler sees
> 
> 	for i in range(n) :
> 	   ... # something
> 
> and there are no other assignments to "i", then it's clear that
> "i" can be represented as an integer, without "boxing" into a
> general object.

How is it clear that `i` is restricted to integers?  That works only if
you assume `range` refers to the built-in `range()` function.  So the
smart compiler has to check all possible control flows up to this point
and be sure `range` was not bound to something different.

Ciao,
	Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch