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This article presents key performance numbers every Python programmer should know, including operation latencies and memory usage for various data types. It features detailed tables and graphs to help developers understand performance implications in their code.
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Python programmers should be aware of several key performance metrics that can impact their code's efficiency. The article outlines specific latency and memory usage numbers for various operations, which can guide developers in choosing the right data structures and optimizing performance. For example, reading an attribute from an object takes about 14 nanoseconds, while a dictionary key lookup is slightly slower at 22 nanoseconds. Understanding these timings is essential, especially when developing performance-sensitive applications.
The memory usage details are equally important. A floating-point number consumes 24 bytes, while an empty list takes up 56 bytes. More complex structures, like a list of 1,000 integers, balloon to 36.0 KB. The article emphasizes that using `__slots__` can significantly reduce memory overhead for class instances, dropping the size from 694 bytes to 212 bytes for five attributes. This kind of optimization can make a substantial difference in applications that create many objects.
The article also provides insights into performance comparisons of popular web frameworks. FastAPI outperforms both Flask and Django when returning JSON, processing requests at 8.63 microseconds compared to Djangoβs 18.1 microseconds. These metrics can influence a developer's choice of framework based on the application's specific needs. Overall, the benchmarks and memory statistics serve as a practical reference for Python developers aiming to write efficient and effective code.
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