[Python-Dev] AST optimizer implemented in Python

[Hrvoje Niksic]

On 08/14/2012 03:32 PM, Victor Stinner wrote:
>>  I had the idea (perhaps not an original one) that peephole optimization would be much better
>>  done in python than in C.  The C code is clunky and unwieldly, wheras python would be much
>>  better suited, being able to use nifty regexes and the like.
>>
>>  The problem is, there exists only bytecode disassembler, no corresponding assembler.
>
> Why would you like to work on bytecode instead of AST? The AST
> contains much more information, you can implement better optimizations

AST allows for better high-level optimizations, but a real peephole 
optimization pass is actually designed to optimize generated code.  This 
allows eliminating some inefficiencies which would be fairly hard to 
prevent at higher levels - wikipedia provides some examples.