[Python-Dev] JITted regex engine from pypy

["Martin v. Löwis"]

> On the minus side, the JIT only works on x86 and x86_64, on the plus
> side, since it's 100% API compatible, it can be used as a _xxx
> speedup module relatively easy.
>
> Do people have opinions?

The main concern for re is not speed, but functionality. The Python re
module needs to grow a number of features, and correct a number of bugs.
So 100% compatible is actually not good enough. 95% compatible (with
the features added and the bugs fixed) would be better.

OTOH, sharing the re code with PyPy would be a desirable goal, as would
be writing the re code in Python (although SRE already implements
significant parts in Python).

As a speedup module, it's uninteresting - we want to simplify 
maintenance, not complicate it. So this can only work if it replaces
SRE.

Regards,
Martin