[Tutor] Slightly OT - Python/Java

[Alan Gauld]

> Actually, I have the Intel assembler manuals at home, haven't even
> looked at 'em. If we're going for speed...

Actually modern C compilers usually mean that well written C 
can outperform even assembler, to write good assembler is just 
so hard that very few people can outsmart a good comiler...
The real reason for still using assembler is to access bits 
of the machine that C just won't let you near - raw addresses 
and device ports for example. Using C the OS will map them 
to relative addresses...

> Ah pity. I was hoping I could code for the JVM in Python style

You can it just won't run as fast as native Java. But you can, 
for example, write classes in Python that can be used by Java 
programmers and you can write applets that can be downloaded 
and run in any Java aware browser. If ultimate performance 
isn't the differentiator - think text editor or card game 
- then Jython may be just fine.

Alan G.