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Exploring CPython's bytecode

Summary

[EuroPython 2011] Floris Bruynooghe - 22 June 2011 in "Track Lasagne"

Description

The CPython interpreter always compiles your source code to bytecode, usually stored in .pyc files. This bytecode is then loaded and executed in the CPython virtual machine.

This talk will explore the bytecode from the outside in. Starting with how to read a .pyc file, following the steps the interpreter takes to arrive and a usable python module. It then dives into the structure of the bytecode itself and the principles of the virtual machine, detailing how the VM executes this bytecode to do useful work.

Having seen all these details you should have a good idea of the various innards of CPython and how to manipulate these to create weird, wonderful, dangerous and occasional useful hacks.

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