I ran a couple of simple tests to compare relative speed between Python 
and Squeak on something I've done before.

The tests are very simple and are not meant to imply anything.
I simply opened a file read it line by line writing each line to a new file.

All tests were conducted on the same machine after fresh restarts with 
no other software running except that which is always loaded upon 
restart. The machine is a PII 266 with WinME.
Below are the tests and code.

I was naively expecting Squeak to be faster but was very surprised.
Python's results are in seconds and Squeak's in milliseconds.

Am I doing something wrong in the Squeak code to cause it to be up to 
100 times slower? Or is this a case of the best tool for the job?

Any help or comments appreciated.

Jimmie Houchin

Python Tests:
FileTest.py
import time

def fileTest():
     beginningTime = time.time()
     file1 = 'c:\\jimmie\\test\\testfile.txt'
     file2 = 'c:\\jimmie\\test\\testfile2.txt'

     oldfile = open(file1, 'r')
     newfile = open(file2, 'w')

     for line in oldfile.readlines():
         newfile.write(line)
     newfile.flush()

     oldfile.close()
     newfile.close()

     finalTime = time.time()
     totalTime = finalTime - beginningTime
     print totalTime


Python 2.2 (#28, Dec 21 2001, 12:21:22) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
IDLE 0.8 -- press F1 for help
 >>> import FileTest
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
5.55000007153
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
4.50999999046
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
4.23000001907
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
4.33999991417
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
4.27999997139
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
2.97000002861
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
2.96000003815
 >>> FileTest.fileTest()
2.97000002861





Squeak Tests
Squeak 3.2gamma4811
In a workspace

Transcript show:
[file1 := CrLfFileStream new.
file2 := CrLfFileStream new.
file1 open: 'c:\jimmie\test\testfile.txt' forWrite: false.
file2 open: 'c:\jimmie\test\testfile2.txt' forWrite: true.

[file1 atEnd] whileFalse:
[file2 nextPutAll: file1 nextLine.
  file2 nextPutAll: String cr].

file2 flush.
file2 close.
file1 close] timeToRun.

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