Is a "real" C-Python possible?

[Jack]

>> I'm not sure
>>how much of the C-Python is implemented in C but I think the more
>>modules implemented in C, the better performance and lower memory
>>footprint it will get.
>
> Prove it.  ;-)

I guess this is subjective :) - that's what I felt in my experience
with web applications developed in Python and PHP. I wasn't able to
find a direct comparison online.

> Seriously, switching to more C code will cause development to bog down
> because Python is so much easier to write than C.

I understand. Python modules implemented in Python - this is how
Python gets its really rich library.

>>I wonder if it's possible to have a Python that's completely (or at
>>least for the most part) implemented in C, just like PHP - I think
>>this is where PHP gets its performance advantage. Or maybe I'm wrong
>>because the core modules that matter are already in C and those Python
>>files are really a thin wrapper. Anyhow, it would be ideal if Python
>>has performance similar to Java, with both being interpreted languages.
>
> Could you provide some evidence that Python is slower than Java or PHP?

I think most Java-Python benchmarks you can find online will indicate
that Java is a 3-10 times faster. A few here:
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2002-January/125789.html
http://blog.snaplogic.org/?p=55

Here's an article that shows the new version of Ruby is
faster than Python in some aspects (they are catching up :)
http://antoniocangiano.com/2007/11/28/holy-shmoly-ruby-19-smokes-python-away/