Xbase++ preprocessor implementation in Python

[Terry Reedy]

In article <37097A3A.F772205 at magna.com.au>, garys at magna.com.au says...

>Attached please find a Python implementation of the Xbase++ preprocessor. 
...
>Oh, and it is *dead slow*! - hundreds of times slower I think!
...

I do not know re's well enough to comment on whether they can be rewritten 
to run faster.  I believe there is a python profiler which might give 
indications on where to start to speed things up.

Terry J. Reedy