Bitshifts and "And" vs Floor-division and Modular

[Cameron Simpson]

On 07Sep2012 01:30, Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
| On 07/09/2012 01:01, jimbo1qaz wrote:
| > Is it faster to use bitshifts or floor division? And which is better, & or %?
| > All divisors and mods are power of 2, so are binary operations faster? And are they considered bad style?
| 
| Why don't you use the timeit module and find out for yourself?

Because timeit doesn't output style advice?
Because timeit won't offer even a short single parapgraph description
of how python ints (even just in CPython) are implemented and how that
may affect performance in general?

To the OP: personally, I would suggest using % when I am thinking of
division and a bit shift when I am thinking of a bitshift, and only reach
for timeit when performance becomes an issue. Code for the algoritm,
and only optimise later.

Of course only a well run benchmark will measure the real world, but it
possible to address his other questions in a helpful fashion and address
the benchmark question in a less offputting tone. If you can't be
bothered, please don't. (Especially since these irritating posts from
you are usually in response to a post you feel could have used more
effort from the OP.)

Nobody answers all performance considerations or design choices with an
exhaustive timeit benchmark, and it is silly to suggest so. It is
helpful for people to have a mental model of the python internals
so they can make often-sensible choices from the start.

So try being helpful instead of slapping people down when they haven't
reached your private bar.

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au>

Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
UNIX:      Been there, done that!