Re: Speed?

>>>>> "EP" == EP <> writes:

EP> On questions of the suitability of Python for CGI, embedded
EP> apps, etc., execution speed comes to mind. I previously read
EP> some comparisons which did not show Python in a good light in
EP> this regard: i.e. Python is slow compared to Perl, C++, Java.

Donald Knuth, God of Computer Science, said "Premature optimization is
the root of all evil". The essence of the quote is that you shouldn't
code for performance until the current implementation is hogging a
disproportionate chunk of the CPU cycles. In layman's terms: code
something that works, and when you hit a performance bottleneck, run a
profiler, find the inefficiencies, and refactor looking for a 2-20x
performance boost.

I write python apps for the hospital I work for, mainly for epilepsy
patients. The EEG data files are large, several hundred megabytes
each, and in addition we have CT and MRI 3D image data to incorporate.
python, with judicious use of Numeric and pygtk, is more than enough
to handle the everyday cases. Are you dealing with several hundred
megabytes per record or more? If not, my guess is that you can handle
your use cases in python with a little careful thought.

In a Nut's Hell, write a prototype app. If you are unsatisfied with
performance, post here. Otherwise, mark today as the last day you
ever coded perl, as I fondly mark that day 5 years ago.

JDH

John Hunter

In article <mailman.43.1073115353.12720.python->,
John Hunter <> wrote:
>
>Donald Knuth, God of Computer Science, said "Premature optimization is
>the root of all evil".

If Knuth is God, then Hoare is God's father:

"Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming."
--C.A.R. Hoare (often misattributed to Knuth, who was himself quoting Hoare)

"We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time:
premature optimization is the root of all evil." --Knuth restates Hoare
--
Aahz () <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

Weinberg's Second Law: If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote
programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization.

Aahz

Grr...

(Aahz) writes:

> In article <mailman.43.1073115353.12720.python->,
> John Hunter <> wrote:
> >
> >Donald Knuth, God of Computer Science, said "Premature optimization is
> >the root of all evil".
>
> If Knuth is God, then Hoare is God's father:
>
> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming."
> --C.A.R. Hoare (often misattributed to Knuth, who was himself quoting Hoare)

Cite?

> "We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time:
> premature optimization is the root of all evil." --Knuth restates Hoare

This is from "Structured Programming with goto Statements", and he's
not quoting Hoare at this point. Really!

Cheers,
mwh

--
Or here's an even simpler indicator of how much C++ sucks: Print
out the C++ Public Review Document. Have someone hold it about
three feet above your head and then drop it. Thus you will be
enlightened. -- Thant Tessman

Michael Hudson

In article <>,
Michael Hudson <> wrote:
> (Aahz) writes:
>> In article <mailman.43.1073115353.12720.python->,
>> John Hunter <> wrote:
>>>
>>>Donald Knuth, God of Computer Science, said "Premature optimization is
>>>the root of all evil".
>>
>> If Knuth is God, then Hoare is God's father:
>>
>> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming."
>> --C.A.R. Hoare (often misattributed to Knuth, who was himself quoting Hoare)
>
>Cite?

http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/has...ry/001461.html

Anybody have a copy of _Literate Programming_ to check?
--
Aahz () <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

A: No.
Q: Is top-posting okay?

Aahz

Aahz <> wrote:
> In article <>,
> Michael Hudson <> wrote:
>> (Aahz) writes:
>>> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming."
>>> --C.A.R. Hoare (often misattributed to Knuth, who was himself quoting Hoare)
>>
>>Cite?

> http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/has...ry/001461.html

> Anybody have a copy of _Literate Programming_ to check?

Surely someone else must have checked this before now. Perhaps the
reply went astray, or isn't threaded properly so that I don't see it.
Anyway. Yes, Knuth says, in a parenthetical aside on page 276, "But I
also knew, and forgot, Hoare's dictum that premature optimization is
the root of all evil in programming."

Which fails to answer the quite reasonable wish for a cite attributing
the phrase, rather than the concept, to Hoare. (a distinction Cally
likes to troll in her .sig, as you know.)

(I can't believe that I have, by dint of rigorously ignoring all but
the most fascinating threads, gotten close enough to the working end of
this dynamic work-always-in-progress to feel I might have something to
add other than a belated footnote. Maybe if I got up at 2:30 AM every
day I could find time to read clp!)

--
One lesson I've learned from my years as Linux's hood ornament is that
there's something worse: some folks can't be content to just take things
too seriously on their own. They're not happy unless they can convince
others to go along with their obsession. -- Linus

Martin Maney

In article <btqlm8$s6d$>,
Martin Maney <> wrote:
>Aahz <> wrote:
>> In article <>,
>> Michael Hudson <> wrote:
>>> (Aahz) writes:
>>>>
>>>> "Premature optimization is the root of all evil in programming."
>>>> --C.A.R. Hoare (often misattributed to Knuth, who was himself quoting Hoare)
>>>
>>>Cite?
>
>> http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/has...ry/001461.html
>> Anybody have a copy of _Literate Programming_ to check?
>
>Surely someone else must have checked this before now. Perhaps the
>reply went astray, or isn't threaded properly so that I don't see it.
>Anyway. Yes, Knuth says, in a parenthetical aside on page 276, "But I
>also knew, and forgot, Hoare's dictum that premature optimization is
>the root of all evil in programming."
>
>Which fails to answer the quite reasonable wish for a cite attributing
>the phrase, rather than the concept, to Hoare. (a distinction Cally
>likes to troll in her .sig, as you know.)

Well, I tried sending e-mail to Hoare; he hasn't responded. Knuth
doesn't do e-mail, and I'm not sure whether I should bother sending him
snail mail. If anyone else feels like doing it (and I suppose he's more
likely to respond if multiple people do), here's his address:

Prof. Donald E. Knuth
Computer Science Department
Gates Building 4B
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-9045 USA
--
Aahz () <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

A: No.
Q: Is top-posting okay?

Aahz