[NCLUG] RE: [Python-Dev] Judy for replacing internal dictionaries?

[Alan Silverstein]

Tim wrote:

> ...while it became clear six years ago that Python had to grow its own
> small-block allocator to have any hope of escaping insane platform C
> library algorithms...

Ya know, for a long time Judy had its own "small block allocator" to
minimize malloc() calls.  After an enormous amount of research and
experimentation, even design of various increasingly clever but complex
alternatives, Doug decided that it was impossible to beat a
well-designed malloc() so long as you made intelligent use of it, and
that while no malloc() out there was "perfect" for scalability, Doug Lea
malloc() (dlmalloc) was the best of the lot.  So, Judy presently has no
small block allocator!  All malloc() calls go directly to the real thing
(and hope the application links Judy with a good one).

I hope Doug will follow up with more of the story.

Alan Silverstein, now ajs at frii.com