I don't think you got a response to this one;
x <- array(dim=(c(j, n)))
for (i in 1:n) {
x[,i] <- rnorm(j)
}
Note that array() allocates a logical array by default, which means
that in your first iteration (i==1) it has to be coerced to a double
array before assigning the value of rnorm(). That takes time. It also
takes time to garbage collect the "stray" logical array afterward.
Using,
x <- array(NA_real_, dim=(c(j, n)))
for (i in 1:n) {
x[,i] <- rnorm(j)
}
avoids this.
For updating list elements, you can avoid repetitive overhead from $<-
and $ by replacing:
a$myx <- array(dim=c(j, n))
for (i in 1:n) {
a$myx[,i] <- rnorm(j)
}
a$myx
with
myx <- array(NA_real, dim=c(j, n))
for (i in 1:n) {
myx[,i] <- rnorm(j)
}
a$myx <- myx
myx
Similarly for S4 slots and @<- and @.
/Henrik
On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 7:53 PM, Ross Boylan <r...@biostat.ucsf.edu> wrote:
> The R Inferno advises that if you are building up results in pieces it's
> best to pre-allocate the result object and fill it in. In some testing,
> I see a benefit with this strategy for regular variables. However, when
> the results are held by a class, the opposite seems to be the case.
>
> Comments? Explanations?
>
> Possibly for classes any update causes the entire object to be
> replaced--perhaps to trigger the validation machinery?--and so
> preallocation simply means on average a bigger object is being
> manipulated.
>
> Here is some test code, with CPU seconds given in the comments. I tried
> everything twice in case there was some "first-time" overhead such as
> growing total memory in the image. When the 2 times differed noticeably
> I reported both values.
>
> # class definitions
> refbase <- setRefClass("refBase", fields = list(dispatch="ANY", myx="ANY"),
> methods = list( initialize = function(x0=NULL, ...) {
> usingMethods("foo")
> dispatch <<- foo
> myx <<- x0
> }
> # some irrelevant methods edited out
> ))
>
> myclass <- setClass("simple", representation=list(myx="ANY"))
>
> ### Method 1: regular variables
> pre <- function(n, j=1000) {
> x <- array(dim=(c(j, n)))
> for (i in 1:n) {
> x[,i] <- rnorm(j)
> }
> x
> }
> system.time(pre(1000)) #0.3s
>
> nopre <- function(n, j=1000) {
> x <- numeric(0)
> for (i in 1:n)
> x <- c(x, rnorm(j))
> x
> }
>
> system.time(nopre(1000)) # 2.0s, 2.7s
>
> # Method 2: with ref class
> pre2 <- function(n, j=1000) {
> a <- refbase(x0=numeric(0))
> a$myx <- array(dim=c(j, n))
> for (i in 1:n) {
> a$myx[,i] <- rnorm(j)
> }
> a$myx
> }
> system.time(pre2(1000)) # 4.0 s
>
> nopre2 <- function(n, j=1000) {
> a <- refbase(x0=numeric(0))
> for (i in 1:n)
> a$myx <- c(a$myx, rnorm(j))
> a$myx
> }
> system.time(nopre2(1000)) # 2.9s, 4.3
>
> # Method 3: with regular class
> pre3 <- function(n, j=1000) {
> a <- myclass()
> a@myx <- array(dim=c(j, n))
> for (i in 1:n) {
> a@myx[,i] <- rnorm(j)
> }
> a@myx
> }
> system.time(pre3(1000)) # 7.3 s
>
> nopre3 <- function(n, j=1000) {
> a <- myclass(myx=numeric(0))
> for (i in 1:n)
> a@myx <- c(a@myx, rnorm(j))
> a@myx
> }
> system.time(nopre3(1000)) # 4.2s
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help@r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
______________________________________________
R-help@r-project.org mailing list
https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
