Python vs Java garbage collection?

[Skip Montanaro]

    >>> It seems to me that it would most likely be a reference count.  
    >> But that would slow down assignments and parameter passing in
    Martin> Yes, I assumed that that was at least a good part of the reason
    Martin> Jython abandonded the traditional ref counting of CPython.  

Not at all.  Jython didn't abandon reference counting.  It wasn't an option.
Jython compiles Python code to JVM bytecode, which is what implements the
garbage collection.  In CPython, the C code which makes up the PyVM
implements reference counting.

-- 
Skip Montanaro - skip at pobox.com
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