[Python-Dev] Python memory model (low level)

[Aahz]

On Fri, Jun 30, 2006, Nick Maclaren wrote:
>
> I Have been thinking about software floating point, and there are
> some aspects of Python and decimal that puzzle me.  Basically, they
> are things that are wanted for this sort of thing and seem to be
> done in very contorted ways, so I may have missed something.
> 
> Firstly, can Python C code assume no COMPACTING garbage collector,
> or should it allow for things shifting under its feet?
> 
> Secondly, is there any documentation on the constraints and necessary
> ritual when allocating chunks of raw data and/or types of variable
> size?  Decimal avoids the latter.

Without answering your specific questions, keep in mind that Python and
Python-C code are very different things.  The current Decimal
implementation was designed to be *readable* and efficient *Python* code.
For a look at what the Python-C implementation of Decimal might look
closer to, take a look at the Python long implementation.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"I saw `cout' being shifted "Hello world" times to the left and stopped
right there."  --Steve Gonedes