Does python always need to compile ENTIRE program before it can start to run it???

[Michael T. Babcock]

> make ; myprogram
>
>
>I am trying to think of an advantage Python has over this hack....
>
>Is it true that unlike C/C++ that Python programs can start executing
>before compilation is COMPLETELY done???  I think so but I'm not sure.
>

Yes.  You can have Python code that wouldn't "compile" but still runs.  
As long as the paths the interpreter takes have no errors, you're fine 
(minor exception of syntax errors).

class a:
    def __init__(self):
       help # syntax error if we initialize an instance of a()

print "hello world"

... that'll still run 'fine' because you don't use "a"

That said, the "compilation" time of a Python program is almost 
nonexistant in most cases.  Most of the work is runtime; load a class, 
wait for the class to compile, and so on..

-- 
Michael T. Babcock
C.T.O., FibreSpeed Ltd.
http://www.fibrespeed.net/~mbabcock