[Numpy-discussion] load from text files Pull Request Review

[Chris.Barker]

On 9/8/11 1:43 PM, Christopher Jordan-Squire wrote:
> I just ran a quick test on my machine of this idea. With
>
> dt = np.dtype([('x',np.float32),('y', np.int32),('z', np.float64)])
> temp = np.empty((), dtype=dt)
> temp2 = np.zeros(1,dtype=dt)
>
> In [96]: def f():
>      ...:     l=[0]*3
>      ...:     l[0] = 2.54
>      ...:     l[1] = 4
>      ...:     l[2] = 2.3645
>      ...:     j = tuple(l)
>      ...:     temp2[0] = j
>
> vs
>
>
> In [97]: def g():
>      ...:     temp['x'] = 2.54
>      ...:     temp['y'] = 4
>      ...:     temp['z'] = 2.3645
>      ...:     temp2[0] = temp
>      ...:
>
> The timing results were 2.73 us for f and 3.43 us for g. So good idea,
> but it doesn't appear to be faster. (Though the difference wasn't
> nearly as dramatic as I thought it would be, based on Pauli's
> comment.)

my guess is that the lines like: temp['x'] = 2.54 are slower (it 
requires a dict lookup, and a conversion from a python type to a "raw" type)

and

temp2[0] = temp

is faster, as that doesn't require any conversion.

Which means that if you has a larger struct dtype, it would be even 
slower, so clearly not the way to go for performance.

It would be nice to have a higher performing struct dtype scalar -- as 
it is ordered, it might be nice to be able to index it with either the 
name or an numeric index.

-Chris




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Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
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