[Python-Dev] Fast access to __builtins__

[Raymond Hettinger]

[GvR]
> Hi Raymond.  Too bad you couldn't make it to the conference!  We're
> all having a great time on and off the GWU premises. 

Glad you guys are having a great time.  I wish I could be there.


> I used your "more zen" on a slide in my keynote.

Cool.  Any chance of getting your keynote slides on the net?



> > From past rumblings, I gather that Python is moving
> > towards preventing __builtins__ from being shadowed.
> 
> You must be misunderstanding.
> 
> The only thing I want to forbid is to stick a name in *another*
> module's globals that would shadow a builtin.

Yes, that *is* different.  
Allowing shadows means having to watch out for trees.


> The idea of forbidding module B in the first example is that the
> optimizer is allowed to replace len(a) with a bytecode that calls
> PyOject_Size() rather than looking up "len" in globals and builtins.
> The optimizer should only be allowed to make this assumption if
> careful analysis of an entire module doesn't reveal any possibility
> that "len" can be shadowed
 . . .
> BTW this idea is quite old; I've described it a few years ago under a
> subject something like "low-hanging fruit".


The fruit is a bit high.  Doing a full module analysis means
deferring the optimization for a second pass after all the code
has already been generated.  It's doable, but much harder.

def f(x):
    return len(x) + 10       # knowing whether to optimize this

def g():
    global len                   # when this is allowed
    len = lambda x: 5       # is a bear

The task is much simpler if it can be known in advance that
the substitution is allowed (i.e. a module level switch like:
__fastbuiltins__ = True).


Raymond Hettinger