Re:Candle: Torch Replacement in Rust
by oivey on Tuesday August 08, 2023 @10:27PM
(#37058045)
You’re right, I misread static builds as typing. Python’s dependency management system sure does suck, although I think the problem could be solved without static builds. Overall they are a nice feature, though.
I think the memory management element is a little dubious, though. Torch’s memory management, for example, is fairly safe, and it internally has its own allocator. A Rust version (I think) that implemented the same would have to rely on unsafe blocks, and would likely have many of the same potential pitfalls as Torch. Time spent satisfying Rust’s borrow checker is likely lost productivity compared to just relying on Python’s reference counting and garbage collection. That productivity could be better spent on making the product better with new features and fixes of algorithmic mistakes.
I think the memory management element is a little dubious, though. Torch’s memory management, for example, is fairly safe, and it internally has its own allocator. A Rust version (I think) that implemented the same would have to rely on unsafe blocks, and would likely have many of the same potential pitfalls as Torch. Time spent satisfying Rust’s borrow checker is likely lost productivity compared to just relying on Python’s reference counting and garbage collection. That productivity could be better spent on making the product better with new features and fixes of algorithmic mistakes.