Charming Python: Make Python run as fast as C with Psyco

Charming Python: Make Python run as fast as C with Psyco: "In some ways the design of Python resembles the design of Java. Both utilize a virtual machine that interprets specialized pseudo-compiled bytecodes. One area where JVMs are more advanced than Python is in optimizing the execution of bytecodes. Psyco, a Python specializing compiler, helps to even the playing field. Right now Psyco is an external module, but it could someday be included in Python itself. With only a tiny amount of extra programming, Psyco can often be used to increase the speed of Python code by orders of magnitude. In this article, David looks at what Psyco is, and tests it in some applications."