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Tue Oct 20 15:15:47 CEST 2009 · http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2009-October/093096.html

Hi,

as some of you know, recently I've released an arbitrary precision
C library for decimal arithmetic together with a Python module:

http://www.bytereef.org/libmpdec.html
http://www.bytereef.org/fastdec.html

Both the library and the module have been tested extensively. Fastdec
currently differs from decimal.py in a couple of ways that could be
fixed. The license is AGPL, but if there is interest in integrating it
into Python I'd release it under a Python-compatible license.

There have been several approaches towards getting C decimal arithmetic
into Python:

http://bugs.python.org/issue2486

Fastdec follows Raymond Hettinger's suggestion to provide wrappers for
an independent C implementation. Arguments in favour of fastdec are:

  * Complete implementation of Mike Cowlishaw's specification

  * C library can be tested independently

  * Redundant arithmetic module for tests against decimal.py

  * Faster than Java BigDecimal

  * Compares relatively well in speed against gmpy

To be clear, I would not want to _replace_ decimal.py. Rather I'd like to
see a cdecimal module alongside decimal.py.

I know that ultimately there should be a PEP for module inclusions. The
purpose of this post is to gauge interest. Specifically:

1. Are you generally in favour of a C decimal module in Python?

2. Would fastdec - after achieving full decimal.py compatibility - be
   a serious candidate?

3. Could I use this list to settle a couple of questions, or would perhaps
   a Python developer be willing to work with me to make it compatible? I'm
   asking this to avoid doing work that would not find acceptance afterwards.

Thanks,

Stefan Krah

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[Python-Dev] Interest in integrating C decimal module into Python?