Optimization Tips

thomthom

I see a lot of SU scripts using some of the more compact iterators Ruby iterators. So they might read nice, but they're often slower than just simple for-loops.

http://blog.shingara.fr/each-vs-for.html

In regard to this should one init the variables used by for in to speed up things? or is that not needed?

Would this
` x = 0
for x in collection

...

endbe faster than for x in collection

...

end`

AdamB

no

Jim

I've always thought for used each under the hood.

http://blog.grayproductions.net/articles/the_evils_of_the_for_loop

for loops do not have their own scope - the loop variable and any variables created in the loop become available (or are over-written) in the current scope.

With .each, variables are local to the block {..}

thomthom

@jim said:

I've always thought for used each under the hood.

http://blog.grayproductions.net/articles/the_evils_of_the_for_loop

for loops do not have their own scope - the loop variable and any variables created in the loop become available (or are over-written) in the current scope.

If you click the method names in the Ruby API manual you get to see the sourcecode:
http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Array.html#M002173

Jim

That's showing a for loop in the c language.

thomthom

That's what it's doing under the hood.

Jim

@thomthom said:

That's what it's doing under the hood.

Right, so where is the definition for the for function?

The answer is there isn't one because for is not a function, but is "sugar". The for loop in Ruby really uses the .each method behind the scenes.

Although, I can't recall where I learned that. The link to the blog article mentions it, though.

tbd

speaking of each vs for :

loop1 = []
loop2 = []

calls = ["one", "two", "three"]

calls.each do |c|
  loop1 << Proc.new { puts c }
end

for c in calls
  loop2 << Proc.new { puts c }
end

loop1[1].call #=> "two"
loop2[1].call #=> "three"

Dan Rathbun

@jim said:

The for loop in Ruby really uses the .each method behind the scenes. ... Although, I can't recall where I learned that.

'Pick-Axe' > For ... In expressions

Jim

I guess to get back on topic, for loops are not faster then .each iterators. The performance must have to do with how the for loop variables are not loop scoped, as in each.

thomthom

Came across this link:
http://www.h3rald.com/articles/efficient-ruby-code-shortcut-review/

On that list it says
@unknownuser said:

Use parallel assignment (a, b = 5, 6) where applicable

while at this link:
http://www.hxa.name/articles/content/ruby-speed-guide_hxa7241_2007.html

@unknownuser said:

Avoid parallel assignment

thomthom

@thomthom said:

Came across this link:
http://www.h3rald.com/articles/efficient-ruby-code-shortcut-review/

On that list it says
@unknownuser said:

Use parallel assignment (a, b = 5, 6) where applicable

while at this link:
http://www.hxa.name/articles/content/ruby-speed-guide_hxa7241_2007.html

@unknownuser said:

Avoid parallel assignment

I just bought the ebook and that review summary was wrong - parallel assignments are not recommended for performance important tasks.
Interesting read that book btw.

MartinRinehart

Let's see - for performance I'm going to avoid iterations, arrays, hashes and objects.

What's left?

thomthom

@martinrinehart said:

What's left?

puts "Hello World"

AdamB

@jim said:

I guess to get back on topic, for loops are not faster then .each iterators. The performance must have to do with how the for loop variables are not loop scoped, as in each.

"Your racing car is not faster than my Trabant, it just covers more ground in a shorter time than my car."

cjthompson

Has anyone looked into Enumerable.grep()? it seems pretty useful, but I don't know how fast it is.

Jim

@adamb said:

@jim said:

I guess to get back on topic, for loops are not faster then .each iterators. The performance must have to do with how the for loop variables are not loop scoped, as in each.

"Your racing car is not faster than my Trabant, it just covers more ground in a shorter time than my car."

Heh? Oh. Yes, I see.

Would it be correct to say: An each loop can be as fast as a for loop if the loop variable has been initialized?

thomthom

That would mean it's not the each loop itself that's slow - but the creation of variables.

Jim

Exactly.

thomthom

Vertex.position is slow! Cache the result if you need to use the same Point3d multiple times.

Point3d.distance also accepts Vertex objects in place of Point3d or Array.
point1.distance(vertex2) is faster than point1.distance(vertex2.position).

http://www.thomthom.net/blog/2010/04/sketchup-vertex-position-speed-performance/