[Python-Dev] More optimisation ideas

[Ethan Furman]

On 02/01/2016 08:40 AM, R. David Murray wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Feb 2016 14:12:27 +1100, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

>> I find that being able to easily open stdlib .py files in a text editor
>> to read the source is extremely valuable. I've learned much more from
>> reading the source than from (e.g.) StackOverflow. Likewise, it's often
>> handy to do a grep over the stdlib. When you talk about freezing the
>> stdlib, what exactly does that mean?
>>
>> - will the source files still be there?
>
> Well, Brett said it would be optional, though perhaps the above
> paragraph is asking about doing it in our Windows build.  But the linux
> distros might make also use the option if it exists, so the question is
> very meaningful.  However, you'd have to ask the distro if the source
> would be shipped in the linux case, and I'd guess not in most cases.
>
> I don't know about anyone else, but on my own development systems it is
> not that unusual for me to *edit* the stdlib files (to add debug prints)
> while debugging my own programs.  Freeze would definitely interfere with
> that.  I could, of course, install a separate source build on my dev
> system, but I thought it worth mentioning as a factor.

Yup, so do I.


> On the other hand, if the distros go the way Nick has (I think) been
> advocating, and have a separate 'system python for system scripts' that
> is independent of the one installed for user use, having the system-only
> python be frozen and sourceless would actually make sense on a couple of
> levels.

Agreed.

--
~Ethan~