python脚本执行速度,加快Python命令行应用程序的初始执行速度

I've prototyped a command line application for quick note-taking using Python and argparse. Right now it basically just launches Vim and then shoves the buffer into a SQLite database.

The problem is, loading Python is slow on both of my machines (~2/3GHz Intel Core 2 Duos) and the most basic functionality (printing a help menu on startup) can take over a second. I know my code is fine because Python is perfectly fast and the interactive mode is snappy once Python loads, but I can mimic my annoyance with a simple Hello Word:

$ time python -c "print 'hello world'"

hello world

real 0m0.669s

user 0m0.070s

sys 0m0.041s

Of course, the problem is not unique to Python:

$ time erl -noshell -eval 'io:fwrite("Hello, World!\n"), init:stop().'

Hello, World!

real 0m2.824s

user 0m0.253s

sys 0m0.104s

My question is: How can I speed up the initial execution of a Python application? I want my program to feel like git or wc.

System: I encounter this problem with python2.6 on OS X 10.6.8 and with python2.7 on OS X 10.7.2.

Note: Subsequent executions of python (and erl) are much faster, but I'm already dogfooding this program and I want it to be truly snappy.

Update: I've tried running pypy and find it has similar initial load time to python2.6 and 2.7 on both of my systems (~.5 seconds on initial load), half the performance on subsequent calls compared to python2.6 on OS X 10.6.8 (~.08s for pypy, ~.35s for 2.6), and similar performance on subsequent calls compared to python2.7 on OS X 10.7.2 (~.08s for pypy and python2.7).

Update 2: Output from dr jimbob's suggestion (this seems to trim the initial load time by 2/3) -

$ python -vSEc "print 'hello world'"

# installing zipimport hook

import zipimport # builtin

# installed zipimport hook

import encodings # directory /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings

# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/__init__.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/__init__.py

import encodings # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/__init__.pyc

# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/codecs.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/codecs.py

import codecs # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/codecs.pyc

import _codecs # builtin

# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/aliases.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/aliases.py

import encodings.aliases # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/aliases.pyc

# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/utf_8.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/utf_8.py

import encodings.utf_8 # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/encodings/utf_8.pyc

Python 2.6.1 (r261:67515, Jun 24 2010, 21:47:49)

[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646)] on darwin

hello world

# clear __builtin__._

# clear sys.path

# clear sys.argv

# clear sys.ps1

# clear sys.ps2

# clear sys.exitfunc

# clear sys.exc_type

# clear sys.exc_value

# clear sys.exc_traceback

# clear sys.last_type

# clear sys.last_value

# clear sys.last_traceback

# clear sys.path_hooks

# clear sys.path_importer_cache

# clear sys.meta_path

# clear sys.flags

# clear sys.float_info

# restore sys.stdin

# restore sys.stdout

# restore sys.stderr

# cleanup __main__

# cleanup[1] zipimport

# cleanup[1] _codecs

# cleanup[1] signal

# cleanup[1] encodings

# cleanup[1] encodings.utf_8

# cleanup[1] encodings.aliases

# cleanup[1] exceptions

# cleanup[1] _warnings

# cleanup[1] codecs

# cleanup sys

# cleanup __builtin__

# cleanup ints: 3 unfreed ints

# cleanup floats

real 0m0.267s

user 0m0.009s

sys 0m0.043s

解决方案

You can make use of a similar technique used by the infamous "Microsoft Office Quick Start" or the "Java Quick Start" and, IIRC even the "Adobe Fast-something"...

The trick is to try and keep all the libraries of the program in the disk cache, all the time.

You can get it with a simple crontab command, programmed to be run once each hour. The exact details will depend on your system, but should work with something like:

$ crontab -e

0 * * * * python -c 'pass'

Although to me more effective you should write a simple Python script that imports all the modules your program is using and then just ends.