Is python not good enough?

[Terry Reedy]

On 1/16/2010 10:08 PM, David Cournapeau wrote:

> Compilation with global type inference may be a good way to speed up
> python, but it is not the only way. Your claim about lookups does seem
> to contradict how the various efficient implementations of dynamic
> languages work. For example, the V8 engine deal with dynamic
> attributes without static analysis:
>
> http://code.google.com/apis/v8/design.html

Reading that, I notice a couple of things.

1. Like Psycho, V8 trades space for time. Given that space is now 
expanding more than time is shrinking, this is more sensible in general 
than it was a decade ago. Given Javascript programs are usually small 
and work with small objects, this is even more sensible for Javascript 
than for some Python programs.

2. It compiles to object code rather than byte code. If the only target 
is standard 32/64 bit Intel/AMD processors, this is quite sensible. Does 
V8 have, for instance, Cray versions?

Guido wants the reference version to be runnable on everything with a C 
compiler and maintainable and upgradeable by volunteers who are not 
assembler experts (which I believe are getting more rare).

tjr