- Stackless Python
Stackless Python, or Stackless, is a Python programming language interpreter, so named because it avoids depending on the C
call stack for its own stack. The most prominent feature of Stackless is microthreads, which avoid much of the overhead associated with usual operating system threads. In addition to Python features, Stackless also adds support forcoroutine s, communication channels and taskserialization .Stackless microthreads are managed by the language interpreter itself, not the operating system kernel —
context switch ing andtask scheduling is done purely in the interpreter. This avoids many of the overheads of threads, because no mode switching between user mode and kernel mode needs to be done, and can significantly reduce CPU load in some high concurrency situations.Due to the considerable number of changes in the source, Stackless Python cannot be installed on a preexisting Python installation as an extension or library. It is instead a complete Python distribution in itself. The majority of Stackless' features have also been implemented in
PyPy , aself-hosting Python interpreter andJIT compiler .Stackless is used extensively in the implementation of the "
EVE Online " massively multiplayer online game to provide for concurrency, [cite web|url=http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2005/10/nested_worlds.html |title=Nested Worlds |publisher="Terra Nova" |author=Combs, Nate |date=2005-10-14] "Civilization IV ", as well as inIronPort 's mail platform. "Second Life " is also beginning to use it. [cite web|url=http://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Eventlet&oldid=51543 |title=Eventlet |publisher=Second Life Wiki |accessdate=2008-03-16]See also
*
Limbo programming language
*SCOOP (software) References
External links
* [http://www.stackless.com/ Project home page]
* [http://harkal.sylphis3d.com/2005/08/10/multithreaded-game-scripting-with-stackless-python/ Multithreaded Game Scripting with Stackless Python] by Harry Kalogirou
* [http://www.stackless.com/spcpaper.htm Continuations and Stackless Python] by Christian Tismer
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