Remove `DELETE_DEREF` bytecode instruction
Open
Nobody has claimed this yet.
interpreter-core
performance
type-feature
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 77.2k
- Forks
- 35.9k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
Feature or enhancement
Proposal:
The DELETE_DEREF opcode can be removed and deletion implemented by the sequence:
LOAD_DEREF POP_TOP PUSH_NULL STORE_DEREF
This would free up an opcode, and, since deletion of non-locals variables is practically never used, there is no cost to doing this.
Has this already been discussed elsewhere?
This is a minor feature, which does not need previous discussion elsewhere
Linked PRs
- gh-148185
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Review the DELETE_DEREF opcode handling and the linked PR gh-148185 first. Determine the affected compiler and runtime paths, then verify that deleting a non-local uses the proposed instruction sequence and that the DELETE_DEREF opcode is removed.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- compilers
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100