On-topic: alternate Python implementations

Steven D'Aprano steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info
Sat Aug 4 02:15:20 EDT 2012


Most people are aware, if only vaguely, of the big Four Python 
implementations:

CPython, or just Python, the reference implementation written in C.
IronPython, written in .NET.
Jython, written in Java.
PyPy, the optimizing implementation written in Python (actually, it's 
written in a subset of Python, RPython).

But the Python ecosystem is a lot bigger than just those four. Here are 
just a few other implementations that you might be interested in:


Stackless - the "forgetten Python", Stackless is, I believe, the oldest 
implementation behind only CPython itself. It's a fork of CPython with 
the calling stack removed and fast and lightweight microthreads, and is 
used extensively in EVE Online.

http://www.stackless.com/


Nuitka - optimising Python compiler written in C++, supports Python 2.6 
and 2.7, claims to be up to twice as fast as CPython.

http://nuitka.net/pages/overview.html


WPython - another optimizing version of Python with wordcodes instead of 
bytecodes.

http://code.google.com/p/wpython/


CLPython, an implementation of Python written in Common Lisp.

http://common-lisp.net/project/clpython/


CapPython is an experimental restricted version of Python with 
capabilities.

http://plash.beasts.org/wiki/CapPython
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-capability_model


Berp - a compiler which works by translating Python to Haskell and 
compiling that.

https://github.com/bjpop/berp/wiki



Give them some love!



-- 
Steven



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