How to Optimize Your Python Programs?

• optimization - speed or memory?
• common mistakes
  • use of repeated append on strings
  • not using Numeric when doing array operations
    • such as graphics, sound
  • close your handles, release your objects where possible
• what slows Python down?
  • looping?
  • function calls?
• methods to speed things up
  • pre-binding
  • push looping into C extensions
  • code in C extensions releases global lock and speeds up execution on multicores
• shrinking your memory footprint