From: Ryan Leavengood <mrcode@...>
Date: 2005-06-10T03:37:54+09:00
Subject: Re: python/ruby benchmark.

Lothar Scholz said:
>
> If i can't use the language because it is to slow to solve the problem
> then the development time doesn't matter. There are just too many
> problem domains left where you can't ignore it.

I would like to hear some more specifics on these problem domains. I'm not
trying to start an argument, I'm just wondering if the problems you are
thinking of are just not appropriate for any interpreted language.

Ruby or Python or Java will never be as fast as C, and C in most cases is
not as fast as good hand-coded assembly. Any problem domain that requires
major number crunching will need to be coded in the most efficient
language, sometimes even requiring special hardware (like 3D graphics.)

Of course with modern computers and compilers, I doubt anyone would code
an entire application in assembly, but rather entirely in C or with just
the hot spots coded in assembly. The same philosophy applies when moving
to the higher level of Ruby, with C for the hot spots. I certainly
wouldn't try to write a web application with C these days.

In fact I would say that in most cases, for many problem domains, the huge
increase in productivity that you get with higher level languages totally
outweighs performance issues.

Ryan