New submission from Josh Rosenberg: copy.copy uses a relatively high overhead approach to copying list, set and dict, using:
def _copy_with_constructor(x): return type(x)(x) This is despite the fact that all three types implement a .copy() method, and there is already a defined method: def _copy_with_copy_method(x): return x.copy() that (in %timeit tests) runs with substantially less overhead, in percentage terms; for empty lists, sets and dicts, calling _copy_with_constructor or _copy_with_copy_method directly on them, the times on my machine (Python 3.5.0, Linux x86-64) are: empty list: 281 ns (constructor), 137 ns (method) empty set: 275 ns (constructor), 175 ns (method) empty dict: 372 ns (constructor), 211 ns (method) The method costs could be trimmed further if _copy_with_copy_method was changed from a Python implementation to using operator.methodcaller, e.g. try: # If we have _operator, avoids cost of importing Python code; it's part of core modules in CPython, already loaded for free from _operator import methodcaller except ImportError: from operator import methodcaller _copy_with_copy_method = methodcaller('copy') This doesn't save a whole lot more (shaves another 9-17 ns off the times for the Python version of _copy_with_copy_method), but it's nice in that it avoids reinventing the wheel in the copy module. Combining the two changes (to use methodcaller for _copy_with_copy_method and to have list, set and dict use _copy_with_copy_method) means we can get rid of both Python defined functions in favor of a single use of operator.methodcaller used by all types that previously used either of them. Obviously not a high priority fix, but I noticed this while trying to figure out a way to fix zlib's lack of support in the copy module ( #26166 which apparently duplicates #25007 ) and how to work around it. ---------- components: Library (Lib) messages: 258704 nosy: josh.r priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: Improve copy.copy speed for built-in types type: performance versions: Python 3.5, Python 3.6 _______________________________________ Python tracker <rep...@bugs.python.org> <http://bugs.python.org/issue26167> _______________________________________ _______________________________________________ Python-bugs-list mailing list Unsubscribe: https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com