[Python-Dev] Dictionary sparseness (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Mon, 05 May 2003 12:47:06 -0400

I used madvise extensively (and quite successfully) back when I was the senior software consultant responsible for the lower-levels of a variety of Unix-system ports of a line of mechanical CAD products. And I loved and still love the general concept -- let me advise an optimizer (so it can do whatever -- be it a little or a lot -- rather than spend energy trying to guess what in blazes I may be doing:-).

Hm. How do you know that you were succesful? I could think of an implementation that's similar to those "press to cross" buttons you see at some intersections, and which seem to have no effect whatsoever on the traffic lights. :-)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)