Sub Thread: GO vs. Python

[Brandon Wirtz]

Response to Alex’s “Go” suggestion.

 

Having extensively tested with Go:

Go handles threads better.

Go uses less memory and is faster doing array reordering and array merges. This is only true in our experience on up to 3 dimensional arrays. When you get to N-Dimensional arrays for values of 4 and greater the performance of Python is better especially if you can work in Python C libraries.

Go is not any faster when working with Google API’s, and some of those API’s are very poorly documented in the Go versions.

 

Lack of years of questions and answer in Stack Overflow, and the web in general means your developer cost will be higher on Go because if you need a code sample you are often stuck.

 

 

Go is usually Cheaper, but Go is rarely faster. The efficient threading means your Cost per request is often MUCH, MUCH lower, especially if you are using Google API’s where the instance has idle cycles.

 

 

 

[Brandon Thomson]

The efficient threading means your Cost per request is often MUCH, MUCH lower, especially if you are using Google API’s where the instance has idle cycles.

I think we will see even more improvement here when [1] is completed. Go instances can probably handle a LOT more simultaneous requests than Python instances given the same amount of memory. Not sure how Java stacks up there.

[1] http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/issues/detail?id=7927