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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Efficient calls to subs in Perl - avoid duplication, gain speed

When you call a sub in Perl (a subroutine - a named block of code), you pass in a list of parameters in the list called @_. It's easy and straightforward ... but as the length of your list increases, it starts to become less that efficient.

Say - for example - I had a 35 Mbyte log file (and I really did yesterday, when I was looking at our web server log) ... then passing it across to a sub would duplicate the list into @_, and if I copied it into a named list in the sub that would be a third copy - over 100 Mbytes of memory swallowed up. Here's how that code might look:

sub mygrep {
  ($look4,@within) = @_;
  @send_back = reverse(grep(/$look4/i,@within));
  return @send_back;
  }
open (FH,"shortie");
@stuff = <FH>;
@interesting = mygrep("horse",@stuff);
print @interesting;


But if you pass a REFERENCE to the list across to your sub, you can save yourself all the duplication - change @stuff to \@stuff in the call, collect the parameter in $within rather than @within inside the sub, then reference it via @$within rather than @within when you search through it. The code does not look much different:

sub mygrep {
  ($look4,$within) = @_;
  @send_back = reverse(grep(/$look4/i,@$within));
  return @send_back;
  }
open (FH,"shortie");
@stuff = <FH>;
@interesting = mygrep("horse",\@stuff);
print @interesting;


but the performance certain does change dramatically!

If you're a newcomer to Perl you may find this sort of thing perplexing .. but help is to hand! Subjects such as this are covered on our Perl Programming course. And if you're already somewhat into Perl, but want to go a little further, we run a Perl for larger projects course which covers handling of large data sets, object orientation, databases and more.


"Let me show you how that works ...."


Copying the list - lots of duplication
Passing a reference - only the one list

(written 2009-03-07)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
P209 - Subroutines in Perl
  [96] Variable Scope - (2004-10-22)
  [308] Call by name v call by value - (2005-05-11)
  [357] Where do Perl modules load from - (2005-06-24)
  [531] Packages in packages in Perl - (2005-12-16)
  [588] Changing @INC - where Perl loads its modules - (2006-02-02)
  [775] Do not duplicate your code - (2006-06-23)
  [969] Perl - $_ and @_ - (2006-12-07)
  [1163] A better alternative to cutting and pasting code - (2007-04-26)
  [1202] Returning multiple values from a function (Perl, PHP, Python) - (2007-05-24)
  [1782] Calling procs in Tcl and how it compares to Perl - (2008-09-02)
  [1784] Global - Tcl, PHP, Python - (2008-09-03)
  [1826] Perl - Subs, Chop v Chomp, => v , - (2008-10-08)
  [1850] Daisy the Cow and a Pint of Ginger Beer - (2008-10-21)
  [1860] Seven new intermediate Perl examples - (2008-10-30)
  [1921] Romeo and Julie - (2008-12-04)
  [2550] Do not copy and paste code - there are much better ways - (2009-12-26)
  [2833] Fresh Perl Teaching Examples - part 2 of 3 - (2010-06-27)
  [2929] Passing a variable number of parameters in to a function / method - (2010-08-20)
  [3066] Separating groups of variables into namespaces - (2010-11-24)
  [3574] Perl functions such as chop change their input parameters - (2012-01-10)
  [3833] Learning to use existing classes in Perl - (2012-08-10)


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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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