[Python-Dev] Looking for master thesis ideas involving Python

Thu Oct 30 00:39:41 EST 2003

Neil Schemenauer wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 at 05:28:13PM -0800, Brett C. wrote:
>>>Neil Schemenauer wrote:
>>>>> * Finish of the AST compiler.
>>>>I actually wanted to originally do that, but there is no real research 
>>involved; its just coding at this point, right?
>>> Right. It's a prerequite to doing real research. See Jeremy's web
> log. If you don't want to finish the AST compiler you could just
> use the Python implementation. It would be slow but good enough for
> testing ideas.
>
Yeah, I read that. Too bad I can't finish the AST branch *and* do 
something with it.
>>>Huh, cool. Just looked at Dylan quickly.
>>> The reference manual is a good reading:
>> http://www.gwydiondylan.org/drm/drm_1.htm 
>> Some of the parts I like are the builtin classes (numbers and
> sealing especially) and the collection protocols. The module and
> library system is also interesting (although overkill for many
> programs).
>
So many languages to learn! Happen to have a book recommendation?
>>>> * Look at making the GC mark-and-sweep.
>>>>I don't know if it is worth it, although having so far two people 
>>suggest changing the GC to something else is interesting.
>>> Implementating yet a another M&S GC is not research, IMHO. What
> _would_ be interesting is comparing the performance of reference
> counting and a mark and sweep collector. CPU, cache and memory
> speeds have changed quite dramatically. Also, comparing how easily
> the runtime can be integrated with the rest of the world (e.g. C
> libraries) would also be valuable.
>
That is a possibility. Depends if anyone else has done a comparison 
lately. Seems like this may have been done to death, though.
> That said, I'm not sure it's worth it either. I find the Chicken GC
> more interesting and would look into that further if I had the time.
>
I just like the name. =) That and the title of that paper, "Cheney on 
the M.T.A" causes the humorist in me to want to look at this further, so 
I will definitely be reading that paper.
-Brett