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[Python-Dev] reference counting in Py3K

Michael Hudson mwh at python.net
Wed Sep 7 09:55:09 CEST 2005 
Greg Ewing <greg.ewing at canterbury.ac.nz> writes:

> Guido van Rossum wrote:
>
>>>While we're on the subject of Python 3000, what's the
>>>chance that reference counting when calling C
>>>functions from Python will go away?
>> 
>> We'd have to completely change the implementation. We're not
>> planning on that.
>
> Also, the refcounting would have to be replaced by
> something else that would also be fairly intrusive
> on the C interface, such as having to remember to
> make all your local variables known to the garbage
> collector.
>
> A better plan would be to build something akin to
> Pyrex into the scheme of things, so that all the
> refcount/GC issues are taken care of automatically.

Certainly, one of the goals of the PyPy project is to do experiments
on GC strategy...

Cheers,
mwh

-- 
  If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them
  down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
                                                        -- Jack Handey
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