Re: [Python-Dev] [Doc-SIG] that library reference, again

2006-01-01 Thread Stephen J. Turnbull 
> "Ian" == Ian Bicking <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

Ian> Nick Coghlan wrote:

>> While I quite like this idea, would it make it more difficult
>> when the bug tracking for the main source code is eventually
>> migrated off SF? And what would happen to existing
>> documentation bug reports/patches on the SF trackers?

Ian> I think the requirements for documentation are a bit lighter,
Ian> so it's not as big a deal.  E.g., the history of bug reports
Ian> on documentation isn't as important, either the ones from SF,
Ian> or if all of Python moves to a new system then the history of
Ian> the transitional system.

This is almost true, but

Ian> Documentation is mostly self-describing.

is not.  Python maintains several "supported" releases
simultaneously.  There are important differences between the Python
language and the implementation being discussed on this list
(cPython).  These issues (and their historical tracking) are not
particularly important in the current workflow because most of the
people actually touching the docs are highly experienced experts.
They will get this stuff right more or less naturally, in part because
they're working on documents that are directly associated with a
particular version of a particular implementation.

But as the documentation process moves to a more fluid, user-driven
process, that expertise will be diluted (even with proposals that the
last phase be edited by a dedicated expert, that expert's time
commitment will surely be strained).  That means that history tracking
will become more important, and documentation meta-data (like which
version of which implementation does this change apply to) much more
so.


-- 
School of Systems and Information Engineering http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of TsukubaTennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
   Ask not how you can "do" free software business;
  ask what your business can "do for" free software.
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Re: [Python-Dev] When do sets shrink?

2006-01-01 Thread Fernando Perez 
Raymond Hettinger wrote:

> It might be better to give more generic advice that tends to be true
> across implementations and versions:  "Dense collections like lists
> tuples iterate faster than sparse structures like dicts and sets.
> Whenever repeated iteration starts to dominate application run-time,
> consider converting to a dense representation for faster iteration and
> better memory/cache utilization."  A statement like this remains true
> whether or not a down-sizing algorithm is present.

Thanks.  While I certainly wasn't advocating an early optimization approach, I
think that part of using a tool effectively is also knowing its dark corners. 
Sometimes you _do_ need them, so it's handy to have the little 'break the glass
in case of an emergency' box :)

>> Cheers,
>> 
>> f
> 
> Hmm, your initial may be infringing on another developer's trademarked
> signature ;-)

Well, tough.  It happens to be my name, and I've been signing like this since
long before I started using python.  I'll think about changing when the
lawsuits come knocking, if I can't get the EFF to defend me ;-)


Thanks again for your feedback.  Until a suitable wiki comes along, I've kept
your message in my python-info folder as a potentially useful nugget.

Regards,

f 

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