Then the confusion probably comes from the fact that Python's main implementation is VM based. So suggesting what they are already doing as an improvement over what they are already doing is confusing to say the least. Perhaps they need a better VM, but that is the technique they use. To see Python's byte code open up a .pyc file.
> Perhaps they need a better VM, but that is the technique they use. To see Python's byte code open up a .pyc file.
Ohyes is talking about per-function static compilation performed on the fly to machine code. Not bytecode.
It seems about halfway between static compilers and JITs really: functions are compiled to actual machine code statically, but the VM can recompile functions or compile new functions and replace old ones (of the same name) on the fly, e.g. during a REPL session.
That's not what Python does, Python code is compiled to VM bytecode and the VM does not compile it any further.
Under ohyes's scheme, the VM would compile that bytecode further down to machine code (or just skip the bytecode). It's closer to what HiPE does than what Python does.
