New Python User Question about Python.

[David Bolen]

Peter Hansen <peter at engcorp.com> writes:

> You're right, but we're saying the same thing.  I didn't say
> Pythonistas don't want improved speed, just that *relative*
> to other improvements, there is clearly little interest
> (*relatively* little) in speed improvements.  This is really
> just an observation over many postings in this newsgroup.

(...)

> Exactly *why* there is relatively little interest in improving
> the speed of raw Python.  We all realize a more effective way
> to gain speed improvements is to profile and then recode as
> a C extension if (and only if) absolutely necessary.
> 
> We like speed as much as the next group of programmers.  Just not,
> it seems, over many other factors we consider more important.

I think I'd phrase this a little differently - it's not so much that
we are trading off a desire for speed over a desire for other
improvements, but trading off the desire for speed against the
resources necessary to meet that desire.

That is, it's as much, if not more, a question of prudent use of
limited resources (I for one believe making significant compiler-like
increases in Python would require a very large resource effort) as
prioritization of features.

To that end, any perceived discrepancies between Python users and
Python developers may also be related to the relative appreciation or
weighting of that expected resource outlay, as opposed to any true
difference in desire for the speed improvement.  I as a user may
highly prize a faster Python, but I may not have accurately judged the
effort needed to meet my desire (and/or realize that even if a large
amount of effort is expended, the result may still fall far shy of my
goal and not really be much different than the status quo).

--
-- David
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