Category: python

GIL or Global Interpreter Lock can be disabled in Python version 3.13. This is currently experimental.

What is GIL? It is a mechanism used by the CPython interpreter to ensure that only one thread executes the Python bytecode at a time.

https://medium.com/@r_bilan/python-3-13-without-the-gil-a-game-changer-for-concurrency-5e035500f0da

Advantages of the GIL

1. Simplicity of Implementation: The GIL simplifies memory management in CPython by preventing concurrent access to Python objects, which can help avoid race conditions and other threading issues.
2. Ease of Use for Single-Threaded Programs: For applications that are single-threaded, the GIL eliminates the overhead associated with managing thread safety, allowing for straightforward and efficient code execution.
3. Compatibility with C Extensions: The GIL allows C extensions to operate without needing to implement complex threading models, which simplifies the development of Python extensions that interface with C libraries.
4. Performance for I/O-Bound Tasks: In I/O-bound applications, the GIL does not significantly hinder performance since threads can be switched out during I/O operations, allowing other threads to run.

Disadvantages of the GIL

1. Limited Multithreading Performance: The GIL can severely restrict the performance of CPU-bound multithreaded applications, as it only allows one thread to execute Python bytecode at a time, leading to underutilization of multicore processors.
2. Thread Management Complexity: Although the GIL simplifies memory management, it can complicate the design of concurrent applications, forcing developers to carefully manage threading issues or use multiprocessing instead.
3. Hindrance to Parallel Processing: With the GIL enabled, achieving true parallelism in Python applications is challenging, making it difficult for developers to leverage multicore architectures effectively.
4. Inefficiency in Context Switching: Frequent context switching due to the GIL can introduce overhead, especially in applications with many threads, leading to performance degradation.

https://geekpython.in/gil-become-optional-in-python

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https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/2023/06/which-programming-language-uses-the-most-energy

https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/the_black_code_style/current_style.html

The Black code style guide emphasizes consistency, readability, and minimizing diffs in Python code. Key formatting rules include ignoring previous formatting, preferring double quotes, adding trailing commas, and wrapping lines to fit within 88 characters. Black standardizes whitespace usage, avoids unnecessary vertical space, and ensures uniform handling of parentheses, comments, and numeric literals. The formatter also aligns with PEP 8 and PEP 257 standards, and provides options to adjust line length and skip string normalization for specific projects.