Python Implementations

An "implementation" of Python should be taken to mean a program or environment which provides support for the execution of programs written in the Python language, or some broadly similar dialect of the language.

There have been and are several distinct software packages providing of what we all recognize as Python, although some of those are more like distributions or variants of some existing implementation than a completely new implementation of the language.

CPython Variants

• CPython - the reference Python implementation

• ActivePython - a CPython variant

• IPython and its IPyKit variant

• Tiny Python

Other Implementations

• CLPython - Python in Common Lisp

• IronPython - Python in C# for the Common Language Runtime (CLR/.NET)

• Jython - Python in Java for the Java platform

• PyMite - Python for embedded devices

• PyPy - Python in Python, targeting several environments

• Serpent

• SNAPpy - "a subset of the Python language that has been optimized for use in low-power embedded devices" (apparently proprietary)

• tinypy - a minimalist implementation of python in 64k of code

Closely related but arguably distinct languages

• Boo

• Cobra

Compilers

• Compyler - an attempt to "transliterate the bytecode into x86 assembly"

• Cython - an optimising Python-to-C compiler, CPython extension module generator, and wrapper language for binding external libraries

• Shed Skin - a Python-to-C++ compiler

Topic Guides

• EmbeddedPython

• PythonDistributions

This page aims to replace one formerly maintained as "Cameron Laird's personal notes on varieties of Python implementation". Also of interest will be IntegratingPythonWithOtherLanguages, which, among other variants, mentions embeddings of Python in other languages.