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Groups > comp.lang.python > #103849

Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python

From Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python
Date 2016-03-02 10:12 +0100
Organization None
Message-ID <mailman.98.1456909984.20602.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
References <a894d5ed-d906-4ff7-a537-32bf0187e062@googlegroups.com>

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Salvatore DI DIO wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I know Python does not have variables, but names.
> Multiple names cant then be bound to the same objects.
> 
> So this behavior
> 
>>>> b = 234
>>>> v = 234
>>>> b is v
> True
> 
> according to the above that is ok
> 
> 
> 
> But where is the consistency ? if I try :
> 
>>>> v = 890
>>>> w = 890
>>>> v is w
> False
> 
> It is a little difficult to explain this behavior to a newcommer in Python
> 
> Can someone give me the right argument to expose ?

You should not bother with object identity for objects other than None.
Some small integers are used a lot, e. g.

Python 3.4.3 (default, Oct 14 2015, 20:28:29) 
[GCC 4.8.4] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.getrefcount(0)
606
>>> sys.getrefcount(1)
918
>>> sys.getrefcount(256)
31
>>> sys.getrefcount(-1)
51

therefore as an optimization the Python developers decided to put -5...256 
(actual range may vary across interpreter versions) into a cache and reuse 
them rather than build a new object for every instance. This may save both 
time and memory, but is otherwise irrelevant.

Something similar is done for strings:

>>> a = "hello"
>>> b = "hello"
>>> a is b
True
>>> a = "hello, world"
>>> b = "hello, world"
>>> a is b
False

But:

>>> a = "hello, world"; b = "hello, world"
>>> a is b
True

Again this is an optimization (mostly targeted at attribute names) which 
should not affect the behaviour of a properly written Python program.

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Thread

Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Salvatore DI DIO <salvatore.didio@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 00:32 -0800
  Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Jesper K Brogaard <jesper@brogAAaard.eu> - 2016-03-02 10:03 +0100
    Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-02 21:32 +1100
      Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-03-02 14:34 +0200
        Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 23:50 +1100
          Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-03-02 15:11 +0200
          Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-03-02 15:39 +0200
            Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-03-03 00:48 +1100
              Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-03-02 16:11 +0200
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 07:08 -0800
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-03 04:23 +1100
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 09:28 -0800
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-03-02 20:12 +0200
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-03 12:52 +1100
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-03-03 09:03 -0800
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-03-03 12:53 -0700
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-03-02 21:49 +0000
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-03 13:05 +1100
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-03-03 16:09 +0000
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-03-03 08:52 +1100
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 17:23 -0800
                Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-03-02 22:51 +0000
              Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-03 04:10 +1100
  Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-03-02 10:08 +0100
  Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2016-03-02 10:12 +0100
  Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-03-02 11:35 +0200
    Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 08:13 -0700
      Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-03-02 17:37 +0200
  Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-03-02 21:16 +1100
  Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python "ast" <nomail@invalid.com> - 2016-03-02 11:52 +0100
    Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Salvatore DI DIO <salvatore.didio@gmail.com> - 2016-03-02 02:58 -0800
  Re: Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-03-02 09:16 -0500
  Re: Explaining  names  vs variables  in Python Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-03-03 04:53 +1100
  RE: Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining names  vs variables  in Python Albert-Jan Roskam <sjeik_appie@hotmail.com> - 2016-03-25 13:03 +0000
  Re: Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining names vs variables in Python Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-03-26 00:22 +1100
  Re: Effects of caching frequently used objects, was Re: Explaining names  vs variables  in Python Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-03-25 09:45 -0700

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