Python un-plugging the Interpreter

[Steve Holden]

John Nagle wrote:
> Alex Martelli wrote:
>> Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp at snipabacken.dyndns.org> wrote:
>>    ...
>>
>>>> Perhaps the current wave of dual-core and quad-core CPUs in cheap
>>>> consumer products would change people's perceptions -- I wonder...
> 
>> IronPython would appear to be coming along nicely and getting acceptance
>> in the Windows community, and I believe the underlying dotNet CLR does
>> do threads nicely; we'll see what develops on that front, I guess.
> 
>      Thus we now have a demonstration that Python implementations need
> not be as slow as CPython.  And that Microsoft is beating open source
> on Python.
> 
Well, let's remember that a) IronPython was originally developed 
independently of Microsoft, and b) it's still open source or close to it 
(I.'m not familiar with the OSI's opinion on the license Microsoft use 
to distribute IronPython, but the fact it can be included in the FePy 
distribution bodes well).

>      Python as a language is in good shape.  But the CPython
> implementation is holding back progress.   What we need are better
> and faster implementations of the language we've got.
> 
Hear, hear!

>      PyPy, ShedSkin, and Jython all were steps in the right
> direction, but none had enough momentum to make it.
> Jython hasn't had a release since 2002, ShedSkin is basically
> one guy, and the EU pulled the plug on PyPy.
> 
Hey there, loose talk costs lives, you know. That is a complete 
mischaracterization of the true position.

Progress on Jython may not have been stellar, but it has occurred and is 
ongoing. Yes, Shedskin is "one guy", but so was Psyco and that was (and 
remains) a useful tool.

As far as I am aware the PyPy project has come to the end of its initial 
EU funding, and they chose to focus on producing deliverables close to 
the end of the project phase rather that divert effort into securing 
ongoing funding. So nobody has "pulled the plug", and I believe there is 
every possibility of a further round of funded research and development 
  in the future. Certainly the results to date would justify that action 
on the part of the EU. I don't know if and when the request for further 
funding will be submitted.

>      Now what?
> 
Work continues. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know.

regards
  Steve
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