Python 2.0 and Stackless

[Jeff Petkau]

Jeremy Hylton <jeremy at beopen.com> wrote in message
news:bld7joah8z.fsf at bitdiddle.concentric.net...
> We will not be merging Stackless Python before the Python 2.0 release.
> We have no plans to integrate it after the 2.0 release, but post 2.0
> plans are less definite.
...
> I would be surprised if Guido agreed to merge in code from the
> stackless variant before Python 3000.  The biggest problems are
> compatibility with JPython and the effects on the Python C API.
> Neither of these problems are insurmountable, but they are hard.
>
> When design work begins on Python 3000, I expect an opportunity to
> consider this issue without compatibilty concerns.

Here's one way to look at it:

For normal Python programs (that don't use stackless or uthreads),
the *only* effect of the stackless patch is to make Python faster
and more crash-resistant (since you can't overflow the C stack).
So it's a complete win, no downside.

For programs that want to use stackless or uthreads, it allows
you to do things that you just *can't do* otherwise. Uthreads is
amazingly wonderful for simulations, or as a plug-in scripting
language for games. So it's still a complete win.

So why on earth wouldn't you want it in the core language?

--Jeff