Merge p3yk branch with the trunk up to revision 45595. This breaks a fair
number of tests, all because of the codecs/_multibytecodecs issue described
here (it's not a Py3K issue, just something Py3K discovers):
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2006-April/064051.html

Hye-Shik Chang promised to look for a fix, so no need to fix it here. The
tests that are expected to break are:

test_codecencodings_cn
test_codecencodings_hk
test_codecencodings_jp
test_codecencodings_kr
test_codecencodings_tw
test_codecs
test_multibytecodec

This merge fixes an actual test failure (test_weakref) in this branch,
though, so I believe merging is the right thing to do anyway.
diff --git a/Tools/pybench/Strings.py b/Tools/pybench/Strings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ab458e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/pybench/Strings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,564 @@
+from pybench import Test
+from string import join
+
+class ConcatStrings(Test):
+
+    version = 0.1
+    operations = 10 * 5
+    rounds = 60000
+
+    def test(self):
+
+        # Make sure the strings are *not* interned
+        s = join(map(str,range(100)))
+        t = join(map(str,range(1,101)))
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+            t + s
+
+    def calibrate(self):
+
+        s = join(map(str,range(100)))
+        t = join(map(str,range(1,101)))
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            pass
+            
+
+class CompareStrings(Test):
+
+    version = 0.2
+    operations = 10 * 5
+    rounds = 200000
+
+    def test(self):
+
+        # Make sure the strings are *not* interned
+        s = join(map(str,range(10)))
+        t = join(map(str,range(10))) + "abc"
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t < s
+            t > s
+            t == s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+    def calibrate(self):
+
+        s = join(map(str,range(10)))
+        t = join(map(str,range(10))) + "abc"
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            pass
+            
+
+class CompareInternedStrings(Test):
+
+    version = 0.1
+    operations = 10 * 5
+    rounds = 200000
+
+    def test(self):
+
+        # Make sure the strings *are* interned
+        s = intern(join(map(str,range(10))))
+        t = s
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+            t == s
+            t == s
+            t >= s
+            t > s
+            t < s
+
+    def calibrate(self):
+
+        s = intern(join(map(str,range(10))))
+        t = s
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            pass
+            
+
+class CreateStringsWithConcat(Test):
+
+    version = 0.1
+    operations = 10 * 5
+    rounds = 80000
+
+    def test(self):
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            s = 'om'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+            s = s + 'xax'
+            s = s + 'xbx'
+            s = s + 'xcx'
+            s = s + 'xdx'
+            s = s + 'xex'
+
+    def calibrate(self):
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            pass
+            
+
+class StringSlicing(Test):
+
+    version = 0.1
+    operations = 5 * 7
+    rounds = 100000
+
+    def test(self):
+
+        s = join(map(str,range(100)))
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+
+                s[50:]
+                s[:25]
+                s[50:55]
+                s[-1:]
+                s[:1]
+                s[2:]
+                s[11:-11]
+
+                s[50:]
+                s[:25]
+                s[50:55]
+                s[-1:]
+                s[:1]
+                s[2:]
+                s[11:-11]
+
+                s[50:]
+                s[:25]
+                s[50:55]
+                s[-1:]
+                s[:1]
+                s[2:]
+                s[11:-11]
+
+                s[50:]
+                s[:25]
+                s[50:55]
+                s[-1:]
+                s[:1]
+                s[2:]
+                s[11:-11]
+
+                s[50:]
+                s[:25]
+                s[50:55]
+                s[-1:]
+                s[:1]
+                s[2:]
+                s[11:-11]
+
+    def calibrate(self):
+
+        s = join(map(str,range(100)))
+
+        for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+            pass
+
+### String methods
+
+if hasattr('', 'lower'):
+
+    class StringMappings(Test):
+
+        version = 0.1
+        operations = 3 * (5 + 4 + 2 + 1)
+        rounds = 70000
+
+        def test(self):
+
+            s = join(map(chr,range(20)),'')
+            t = join(map(chr,range(50)),'')
+            u = join(map(chr,range(100)),'')
+            v = join(map(chr,range(256)),'')
+
+            for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+
+                s.lower()
+                s.lower()
+                s.lower()
+                s.lower()
+                s.lower()
+
+                s.upper()
+                s.upper()
+                s.upper()
+                s.upper()
+                s.upper()
+
+                s.title()
+                s.title()
+                s.title()
+                s.title()
+                s.title()
+
+                t.lower()
+                t.lower()
+                t.lower()
+                t.lower()
+
+                t.upper()
+                t.upper()
+                t.upper()
+                t.upper()
+
+                t.title()
+                t.title()
+                t.title()
+                t.title()
+
+                u.lower()
+                u.lower()
+
+                u.upper()
+                u.upper()
+
+                u.title()
+                u.title()
+
+                v.lower()
+
+                v.upper()
+
+                v.title()
+
+        def calibrate(self):
+
+            s = join(map(chr,range(20)),'')
+            t = join(map(chr,range(50)),'')
+            u = join(map(chr,range(100)),'')
+            v = join(map(chr,range(256)),'')
+
+            for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+                pass
+
+    class StringPredicates(Test):
+
+        version = 0.1
+        operations = 10 * 7
+        rounds = 80000
+
+        def test(self):
+
+            data = ('abc', '123', '   ', '\xe4\xf6\xfc', '\xdf'*10)
+            len_data = len(data)
+
+            for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+                s = data[i % len_data]
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+                s.isalnum()
+                s.isalpha()
+                s.isdigit()
+                s.islower()
+                s.isspace()
+                s.istitle()
+                s.isupper()
+
+        def calibrate(self):
+
+            data = ('abc', '123', '   ', '\u1234\u2345\u3456', '\uFFFF'*10)
+            data = ('abc', '123', '   ', '\xe4\xf6\xfc', '\xdf'*10)
+            len_data = len(data)
+
+            for i in xrange(self.rounds):
+                s = data[i % len_data]
+
+