RPython: a step towards reconciling dynamically and statically typed OO languages

Although the C-based interpreter of Python is reasonably fast, implementations on the CLI or the JVM platforms offers some advantages in terms of robustness and interoperability. Unfortunately, because the CLI and JVM are primarily designed to execute statically typed, object-oriented languages, most dynamic language implementations cannot use the native bytecodes for common operations like method calls and exception handling; as a result, they are not able to take full advantage of the power offered by the CLI and JVM. We describe a different approach that attempts to preserve the flexibility of Python, while still allowing for efficient execution. This is achieved by limiting the use of the more dynamic features of Python to an initial, bootstrapping phase. This phase is used to construct a final RPython (Restricted Python) program that is actually executed. RPython is a proper subset of Python, is statically typed, and does not allow dynamic modification of class or method definiti...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: DLS
• Authors: Davide Ancona, Massimo Ancona, Antonio Cuni, Nicholas D. Matsakis
• Keywords: Bootstrapping Phase, DLS 2007, Dynamic Language Implementations, Languages, Statically Typed