Writing Efficient Python Code

In this article, we are going to discuss how to write efficient code in python and also discuss their importance. Python is a robust programming language that allows you to accomplish a lot with a minimal amount of code.

You must prevent the use of code that is not necessary and employ suitable procedures and strategies to make your code run more quickly if you want to produce effective and optimized code.

This article will go over several methods for writing Python code more quickly and effectively. Like −

• Establishing a function.

• Reduce unnecessary operations.

• Do not declare variables that are not necessary.

• Apply the proper algorithms.

• Discover the idea of dynamic programming.

• Reduce your use of If-Else.

• The loops should be broken as needed.

• Defining variables in the global scope should be avoided.

• Use the right data types.

• Avoid unnecessary copies.

• Use built-in functions and libraries.

Introduction to Python

Python is a widely used high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented, and interpreted language. To utilize Python for a task, one only needs to supply the logic because Python itself handles the majority of the coding work. Python has a highly comprehensive library containing pre-defined code for every use.

Python has a sizable developer community, which gives newbies and seasoned users an added advantage in that there are never any problems.

Importance to Write Efficient Python Code

As we know that the code which we write is a part of some application or a program and for that we have a team and we all have to collaborate and work together and also need to understand their work.

Imagine a scenario if we have a thousand of line code without any comments or proper titles and complex code that is very difficult to understand for others so that’s why we have to write efficient code it will also help us to improve programming time and space complexity.

There are many factors to improve or write efficient code like establishing functions, adding comments, using the proper name, etc we have discussed all the factors of it in detail in the below section.

How to Write Efficient Python Code?

Writing code that is quick and efficient is quite simple. In addition to increasing the functionality of the code, efficient code can also minimize the programming's time and space complexity.

One of the key elements in determining the quality of the code is speed; for example, if your code produces the desired output but takes a while to run, it will not be regarded as high-quality code. Another strategy that solves the same issue more quickly will be deemed preferable.

The code should be clear, intelligible, and legible so that it can be reused, adding new features, and making the process of debugging more straightforward

As we have discussed above there are several methods for writing efficient code in python lets's go over a few easy-to-apply strategies and tricks in this article to help us write more elegant and effective code.

Establishing a function

Functions are blocks of code that can perform the same work or can run the same set of instructions for different types of parameters, which makes the code reusable and clean. For example, to get to the minimum value from two values we can use the

Example

c = min(a,b) # where a and b are the numbers

If we are not using the functions, then this code will look like this

if a > b:
   c = b
else:
   c = a

From the above two codes, we can simply see that the first code is more sensible and small which makes the overall code clear.

Reduce unnecessary operations

Many times we are using unnecessary operations which may make code messy, for example: To perform addition and subtraction simultaneously we can merge them into a single operation.

Example

a = a + b
a = a - c
# merging in the same line
a = a + (b - c)

From the above code, we can see that we have reduced one operation of assignment value to variable a.

Do not declare variables that are not necessary

Many times users declare some variables which are not necessary and they might never use them. First, this decreases the variable choice, and other this makes the code messy. For example: If the user needs to add the minimum from the two different pairs

Example

Minimum1 = min(a,b)
Minimum2 = min(c,d)
Sum = Minimum1+Minimum2
#alternative best method is
Sum = min(a,b) + min(c,d)

From the above code, we can see there are two ways to implement the same logic and by applying the second logic we can reduce the operations as well as the variable.

Apply the proper algorithms

Programming is all about using the best algorithms to reduce space and time complexity. By using the proper algorithm, the code will become efficient and high changes to get the neat code also because the logic of all the algorithms are in the same way and most people are familiar with them.

Reduce your use of If-Else

If-else conditions are best to work with but the user needs to reduce the use of them or if using then use them properly and try to put the condition which has a high probability of matching first. For example: if we need to find whether the current number is even and divisible by 3 or not then we can write code as

Example

if (x%2 ==0) && (x%3 == 0):
   print('Yes')
else:
   print('No')
#this code can also be written as
if(x % 2 != 0):
   print('No')
elif: (x%3 != 0):
   print('No')
else:
   print('Yes')

From the above example, we can see that using the if-else conditions can be tricky and must be handled properly.

Use the right data types

Choose the appropriate data type for your needs. For example, use lists instead of dictionaries for storing large sequences of items if you don't need fast lookup times.

Avoid unnecessary copies

Make sure you are making only necessary copies of data, as this can be inefficient. For example, use views instead of copies when slicing arrays.

Use built-in functions and libraries

Python has a large standard library and many third-party libraries that provide efficient implementations of common algorithms and operations. Use these instead of implementing your own solutions.

Conclusion

Python is a robust programming language that allows you to accomplish a lot with a minimal amount of code. The code should be clear, intelligible, and legible so that it can be reused, adding new features, and making the process of debugging more straightforward. For writing Python code more quickly and effectively. Like - Establishing a function, Reducing unnecessary operations, Do not declare variables that are not necessary, Applying the proper algorithms, Discover the idea of dynamic programming, Reduce your use of If-Else, The loops should be broken as needed, and Defining variables in the global scope should be avoided.