[Python-Dev] Re: Python 2.0 and Stackless (original) (raw)

Moshe Zadka Moshe Zadka moshez@math.huji.ac.il
Sun, 6 Aug 2000 09:23:48 +0300 (IDT)

On Sat, 5 Aug 2000, Eric S. Raymond wrote:

I must say I agree. Something pretty similar to Stackless Python is going to have to happen anyway for the language to make its next major advance in capability -- generators, co-routining, and continuations.

I also agree that this is a more important debate, and a harder set of decisions, than the PEPs. Which means we should start paying attention to it now.

I tend to disagree. For a while now I'm keeping an eye on the guile interpreter development (a very cool project, but unfortunately limping along. It probably will be the .NET of free software, though). In guile, they were able to implement continuations without what we call stacklessness. Sure, it might look inefficient, but for most applications (like co-routines) it's actually quite all right. What all that goes to say is that we should treat stackles exactly like it is -- an implementation detail. Now, that's not putting down Christian's work -- on the contrary, I think the Python implementation is very important. But that alone should indicate there's no need for a PEP. I, for one, am for it, because I happen to think it's a much better implementation. If it also has the effect of making continuationsmodule.c easier to write, well, that's not an issue in this discussion as far as I'm concerned.

brain-dumping-ly y'rs, Z.

-- Moshe Zadka <moshez@math.huji.ac.il> There is no IGLU cabal. http://advogato.org/person/moshez