[Python-Dev] A new dict for Xmas?

[Mark Shannon]

Greg Ewing wrote:
> Mark Shannon wrote:
> 
>> I have a new dict implementation which allows sharing of keys between 
>> objects of the same class.
> 
> We already have the __slots__ mechanism for memory savings.
> Have you done any comparisons with that?
> 

You can't make Python programmers use slots, neither can you
automatically change existing programs.

Are you suggesting that because the __slots__ mechanism exists,
the dict implementation doesn't have to be efficient?

> Seems to me that __slots__ ought to save even more memory,
> since it eliminates the per-instance dict altogether rather
> than just the keys half of it.
> 

Of course using __slots__ saves more memory,
but people don't use them much.

Cheers,
Mark.