Still more performance chatter (was: New to Python: Features)

From: Cameron Laird (claird_at_lairds.us)
Date: 10/05/04 

Date: Tue, 05 Oct 2004 12:08:08 GMT

In article <1gl6fnk.m1zq7z1fm0nhbN%aleaxit@yahoo.com>,
Alex Martelli <aleaxit@yahoo.com> wrote:
                        .
                        .
                        .
>interoperates smoothly with Python and does "compile down to C"). If
>you don't need portability, C's speed isn't optimal anyway; psyco (a
>just-in-time optimizer for Python) can sometimes beat C by going
>directly to machine language (but it only works for intel and compatible
>CPUs, not for example for the PowerPC chips used in Apple's Mac
>computers -- that is the downside, of course).
                        .
                        .
                        .
Moreover, "speed of language" is ill-defined. For the
applications that interest Alex and me, C is often con-
siderably slower than, say, Python and Lisp and Haskell,
because the executables produced by typical teams using
those latter three languages (for example) to meet fixed
requirements frequently perform *better* than the C-coded
executables produced by comparable teams meeting the same
requirements using C.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: variable declaration
    ... Alex Martelli wrote: ... >>Let me add that I remain unconvinced that a language cannot combine the ... >>best features of Python with very high performance, ... Python Web Programming http://pydish.holdenweb.com/ ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: Pythons simplicity philosophy
    ... The "only one way to do it" mantra is asinine. ... to do it", will make your language bigger, messier, more complicated, ... You would castrate Python so that this is not possible? ... and only suitable for teaching How Alex Martelli Says You Should ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: [ x for x in xrange(10) when p(x) ]
    ... I just try to use list/generator expression when possible and found I ... Alex Martelli wrote: ... > production implementation I know of ANY language would even try). ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: Python is Considered Harmful
    ... Alex Martelli wrote: ... > language that lets you set the number base to be used for ... Heather Coppersmith ... -- Wolfgang Pauli ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: Looking for a new language
    ... >command line, and GUI) that can run under Win32, and Linux. ... >1.basically I need to be able to build apps, in both windows, and linux. ... language you use. ... There are programs that can "shrink" your executables though. ...
    (comp.programming)