[Python-Dev] Interest in integrating C decimal module into Python? (original) (raw)

ssteinerX@gmail.com ssteinerx at gmail.com
Tue Oct 20 15:27:33 CEST 2009

Shouldn't this be on python-ideas?

S

On Oct 20, 2009, at 9:15 AM, Stefan Krah wrote:

Hi,

as some of you know, recently I've released an arbitrary precision C library for decimal arithmetic together with a Python module: http://www.bytereef.org/libmpdec.html http://www.bytereef.org/fastdec.html

Both the library and the module have been tested extensively. Fastdec currently differs from decimal.py in a couple of ways that could be fixed. The license is AGPL, but if there is interest in integrating it into Python I'd release it under a Python-compatible license. There have been several approaches towards getting C decimal arithmetic into Python: http://bugs.python.org/issue2486 Fastdec follows Raymond Hettinger's suggestion to provide wrappers for an independent C implementation. Arguments in favour of fastdec are: * Complete implementation of Mike Cowlishaw's specification * C library can be tested independently * Redundant arithmetic module for tests against decimal.py * Faster than Java BigDecimal * Compares relatively well in speed against gmpy To be clear, I would not want to replace decimal.py. Rather I'd like to see a cdecimal module alongside decimal.py. I know that ultimately there should be a PEP for module inclusions. The purpose of this post is to gauge interest. Specifically: 1. Are you generally in favour of a C decimal module in Python? 2. Would fastdec - after achieving full decimal.py compatibility - be a serious candidate? 3. Could I use this list to settle a couple of questions, or would perhaps a Python developer be willing to work with me to make it compatible? I'm asking this to avoid doing work that would not find acceptance afterwards.

Thanks, Stefan Krah

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