Python Written in C?
Terry Reedy
tjreedy at udel.edu
Mon Jul 21 18:04:45 EDT 2008
mk wrote:
> Seriously, though, would there be any advantage in re-implementing
> Python in e.g. C++?
Considered and rejected by Guido and the CPython developer crew.
Anyone who wants C++Python is free to make one, just as people have done
JavePython (Jython), C#Python, (IonPython), PythonPython (PyPy), and
compiled-CPython (multiple).
> Not that current implementation is bad, anything but, but if you're not
> careful, the fact that lists are implemented as C arrays can bite your
> rear from time to time (it recently bit mine while using lxml). Suppose
> C++ re-implementation used some other data structure (like linked list,
> possibly with twists like having an array containing pointers to 1st
> linked list elements to speed lookups up), which would be a bit slower
> on average perhaps, but it would behave better re deletion?
This is a data structure issue, not a language issue. The tradeoffs for
practical implementation include code-length, code-complexity,
code-fragility, and ease of cross-platform compilation as well as
classical time and space issues.
tjr
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