[Python-Dev] are NULL checks in Objects/abstract.c really needed?

[Guido van Rossum]

>  i had a quick look at Objects/abstract.c in 2.2.2's source. almost
>  every function there checks whether the objects it's passed are not
>  NULL. if they are, SystemError exception occurs. since i've never come
>  across such exception i've commented out those checks.
> 
>  the resulting python binary did 6.5% more pystones on average (the
>  numbers are below). my question is: are those checks really necessary
>  in non-debug python build?

Unfortunately, this is part of the safety net for poor extension
writers, and I'm not sure we can drop it.

Given that Pystone is so regular, it's probably just one or two of the
functions you changed that make the difference.  If you can figure out
which ones, perhaps you could inline just those (in the switch in
ceval.c) and get the same effect.

Anyway, I only get a 1% speedup.

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