PyPy with a smaller PVM for the full Python?

[Casey Hawthorne]

Currently PyPy is working toward compiling to C a restricted subset of
Python, called RPython.

Would it be possible for PyPy to "compile" the full subset of Python
by also using a lot smaller version of the PVM (Python Virtual
Machine) to go with the "compiled" code?
So, the user would be running the C object code and also a smaller
PVM!

Or would this completely remove or severely reduce any speed advantage
of the compiled code?


Similarly, for JPython (which is at Python 2.2?), could one also use a
lot smaller accompanying PVM with the JPython source code and JVM to
use Python 2.5 in its entirety?

 

[Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch]

Similarly, for JPython (which is at Python 2.2?), could one also use a
lot smaller accompanying PVM with the JPython source code and JVM to
use Python 2.5 in its entirety?

Could you define "small"? I think the PVM is already quite small.

Ciao,
Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch

 

[John Roth]

Currently PyPy is working toward compiling to C a restricted subset of
Python, called RPython.

Would it be possible for PyPy to "compile" the full subset of Python
by also using a lot smaller version of the PVM (Python Virtual
Machine) to go with the "compiled" code?
So, the user would be running the C object code and also a smaller
PVM!

Or would this completely remove or severely reduce any speed advantage
of the compiled code?


Similarly, for JPython (which is at Python 2.2?), could one also use a
lot smaller accompanying PVM with the JPython source code and JVM to
use Python 2.5 in its entirety?

The PyPy project, as I understand it, is to have a version
of Python that's entirely written in Python. The RPython
modules are the ones that will be compiled into C so that
they can then be compiled into a virtual machine. I doubt
very much if there's anything that can be done to subset
it further. Their direction on performance is toward a JIT
(Just In Time compiler), not to put lots of code in C so
that it runs fast.

The same goes for both Java and the CLR (IronPython).
I believe there are plans to subset the JVM in the
2.7 release, but I have my doubts whether that will reduce
the JVM footprint as far as running Jython is concerned.
The intention is to reduce the initial footprint for runing the
JVM under a browser.

John Roth