Looking for info on Python's memory allocation

[Peter Otten]

Lasse Vågsæther Karlsen wrote:

> If I have a generator or other iterable producing a vast number of
> items, and use it like this:
> 
> s = [k for k in iterable]
> 
> if I know beforehand how many items iterable would possibly yield, would
> a construct like this be faster and "use" less memory?
> 
> s = [0] * len(iterable)
> for i in xrange(len(iterable)):
>      s[i] = iterable.next()

You can easily answer the speed aspect of your question using the timeit
module:

~ $ python2.4 -m timeit -s'iterable=range(1000)' '[k for k in iterable]'
10000 loops, best of 3: 111 usec per loop

~ $ python2.4 -m timeit -s'iterable=range(1000)' 's = [0]*len(iterable); it
= iter(iterable)' 'for i in xrange(len(iterable)): s[i] = it.next()'
1000 loops, best of 3: 513 usec per loop

~ $ python2.4 -m timeit -s'iterable=range(1000)' 's = [0]*len(iterable)'
'for i, v in enumerate(iterable): s[i] = v'
1000 loops, best of 3: 269 usec per loop

~ $ python2.4 -m timeit -s'iterable=range(1000)' 'list(iterable)'
100000 loops, best of 3: 7.33 usec per loop

Peter