Concurrency & performance
asyncio, threading, multiprocessing, and profiling-friendly performance patterns.
How to Demonstrate the GIL with Python Threads vs Processes
Measure and compare wall-clock time for CPU-bound work using Python threads (limited by the GIL) versus multiprocessing (which bypasses the GIL).
import threading
import multiprocessing
import time
import os
def cpu_heavy(n):
return sum(i * i for i in range(n))
def run_threads(n):
threads = [threading.Thread(target=cpu_heavy, args=(n,)) for _ in range(2)]
start = time.perf_counter()
for t in threads:
t.start()
for t in threads:
…How to Parse JSON Files in Parallel with Python ThreadPoolExecutor
Load and transform JSON records from multiple files concurrently using ThreadPoolExecutor for faster I/O-bound parsing.
import time
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
import json
def load_json_file(path):
with open(path, 'r') as f:
return json.load(f)
def transform_record(record):
record['full_name'] = f"{record.pop('first_name', '')} {record.pop('last_name', '')}".strip()
record['score'] = int(reco…How to Reduce Instance Memory with __slots__ in Python
Demonstrates that classes with __slots__ use less memory per instance than regular classes because they skip the instance __dict__.
class SlottedPoint:
__slots__ = ('x', 'y', 'z')
def __init__(self, x, y, z):
self.x = x
self.y = y
self.z = z
class RegularPoint:
def __init__(self, x, y, z):
self.x = x
self.y = y
self.z = z
if __name__ == "__main__":
regular = RegularPoint(1, 2, 3)…How to Run Coroutines Concurrently with asyncio.gather in Python
Run multiple async coroutines concurrently and collect their results in the order they were passed.
import asyncio
async def fetch_data(name: str, delay: float) -> str:
"""Simulate an async operation (e.g., API call) with a delay."""
await asyncio.sleep(delay)
return f"{name} data (after {delay}s)"
async def main() -> None:
"""Run multiple coroutines concurrently with asyncio.gather."""
resul…How to Send and Receive Messages Between Processes with multiprocessing.Pipe in Python
Use multiprocessing.Pipe to create a two-way connection between two processes, send a message from parent to child, and receive a reply back.
import multiprocessing
def child_process(conn):
"""Receive from parent and send back a response."""
message = conn.recv()
print(f"Child received: {message}")
conn.send("Hello from child!")
if __name__ == "__main__":
parent_conn, child_conn = multiprocessing.Pipe()
process = multiprocessing…How to Share Memory Between Processes in Python with multiprocessing.Value and Array
Share a numeric value and a list-like array across multiple Python processes using multiprocessing.Value and multiprocessing.Array, with each process modifying the same memory.
import multiprocessing
def worker(shared_value, shared_array, index):
shared_value.value += 10
shared_array[index] = shared_array[index] * 2
if __name__ == "__main__":
shared_value = multiprocessing.Value("i", 5)
shared_array = multiprocessing.Array("i", [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
processes = []
for i…How to Share a Dict and List Between Processes with multiprocessing Manager in Python
This code demonstrates how to share a dictionary and a list between multiple processes using multiprocessing.Manager, enabling safe concurrent updates.
import multiprocessing as mp
def worker(shared_dict, shared_list, name):
shared_dict[name] = name.upper()
shared_list.append(name)
print(f"{name} added to shared structures")
def main():
with mp.Manager() as manager:
shared_dict = manager.dict()
shared_list = manager.list()
…How to Share a Queue Between Processes in Python
Use multiprocessing.Queue to pass work from a producer process to multiple consumer processes, coordinating with a sentinel stop message.
import multiprocessing
import time
def producer(queue, items):
for item in items:
queue.put(item)
time.sleep(0.1)
queue.put("STOP")
def consumer(queue, name):
while True:
item = queue.get()
if item == "STOP":
break
print(f"{name} processed: {item}")
…How to Signal asyncio Workers to Stop with an Event in Python
Use an asyncio.Event to coordinate graceful shutdown of multiple concurrent worker tasks in Python.
import asyncio
import random
async def worker(name, stop_event):
while not stop_event.is_set():
await asyncio.sleep(random.uniform(0.1, 0.5))
print(f"Worker {name} processing...")
print(f"Worker {name} stopped.")
async def main():
stop_event = asyncio.Event()
workers = [asyncio.create…How to Use ProcessPoolExecutor for CPU Parallel Map in Python
Run a function over a sequence of inputs in parallel across multiple CPU cores with ProcessPoolExecutor.map.
from concurrent.futures import ProcessPoolExecutor
import math
def compute_square(num):
return num * num
def is_prime(n):
if n < 2:
return False
for i in range(2, int(math.sqrt(n)) + 1):
if n % i == 0:
return False
return True
if __name__ == "__main__":
numbers = rang…How to Use Thread Pool Executor map for IO-Bound Tasks in Python
Run multiple I/O-bound tasks concurrently with ThreadPoolExecutor map and collect their results in order.
import time
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
def io_bound_task(task_id: int) -> str:
time.sleep(0.2) # mock I/O wait
return f"Task {task_id} completed"
def main() -> None:
task_ids = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=3) as executor:
results = list(executor.…How to Use as_completed to Process Futures in Order of Completion
Submit multiple tasks to a ThreadPoolExecutor and process each result as soon as it finishes using as_completed.
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
import time
def fetch_data(item_id):
time.sleep(1)
return f"item-{item_id}"
def main():
with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=3) as executor:
future_map = {executor.submit(fetch_data, i): i for i in range(1, 6)}
for future in…How to Use asyncio Lock to Protect a Shared Counter in Python
This code demonstrates how to use an asyncio.Lock to safely increment a shared counter from multiple concurrent coroutines.
import asyncio
async def increment(counter, lock, increments):
for _ in range(increments):
async with lock:
counter[0] += 1
async def main():
counter = [0]
lock = asyncio.Lock()
tasks = [
increment(counter, lock, 1000)
for _ in range(5)
]
await asyncio.gath…How to Use multiprocessing Pool map and starmap in Python
Parallelize functions over iterables with Pool.map, and unpack multiple arguments via Pool.starmap.
from multiprocessing import Pool
def square(x):
return x * x
def add_and_multiply(a, b, c):
return (a + b) * c
if __name__ == "__main__":
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
with Pool(processes=2) as pool:
squares = pool.map(square, numbers)
print(f"squares: {squares}")
starmap_arg…How to Use pool.map for CPU-Bound Tasks in Python
Distribute CPU-intensive functions across processes with multiprocessing.Pool.map and measure the performance gain.
from multiprocessing import Pool
import time
def cpu_bound_task(n):
"""Mock CPU-bound work: compute sum of squares."""
total = 0
for i in range(n):
total += i * i
return total
if __name__ == "__main__":
numbers = [10_000_000, 12_000_000, 8_000_000, 15_000_000]
start = time.perf_count…How to Use threading.Lock to Synchronize a Counter in Python
Safely increment a shared counter across multiple threads using threading.Lock as a mutex to prevent race conditions.
import threading
counter = 0
lock = threading.Lock()
def increment():
global counter
for _ in range(100000):
with lock:
counter += 1
threads = [threading.Thread(target=increment) for _ in range(5)]
for t in threads:
t.start()
for t in threads:
t.join()
print(f"Final counter valu…How to Use threading.RLock in Python
Demonstrates threading.RLock, a reentrant lock that allows the same thread to acquire it multiple times without deadlocking — essential for recursive functions sharing state across threads.
import threading
import time
lock = threading.RLock()
shared_counter = 0
def recursive_increment(value, depth):
global shared_counter
with lock:
shared_counter += 1
print(f"Depth {depth}: counter = {shared_counter}")
if depth > 1:
recursive_increment(value, depth - 1)
def…How to spawn multiple worker processes in Python with multiprocessing.Process
Spawns three separate worker processes using multiprocessing.Process, runs them concurrently, and waits for all to finish before printing a completion message.
import multiprocessing
import time
def worker(name):
print(f"Worker {name} started")
time.sleep(1)
print(f"Worker {name} finished")
return name
if __name__ == "__main__":
processes = []
for i in range(3):
p = multiprocessing.Process(target=worker, args=(i,))
processes.append(p…Synchronize Threads with a Barrier in Python
Demonstrates using threading.Barrier to synchronize multiple threads at phase boundaries, ensuring all workers wait for each other before proceeding.
import threading
import time
from random import randint
def worker(barrier, worker_id):
for phase in range(3):
time.sleep(randint(1, 3))
print(f"Worker {worker_id} finished phase {phase} at {time.time():.2f}")
barrier.wait()
print(f"Worker {worker_id}: all phases complete")
if __name_…asyncio sleep cooperative scheduling demo in Python
This demo shows how asyncio.sleep yields control between concurrent tasks, letting multiple workers interleave their ticks.
import asyncio
async def worker(name, delay):
for i in range(3):
print(f"{name}: tick {i}")
await asyncio.sleep(delay)
return f"{name} done"
async def main():
tasks = [
asyncio.create_task(worker("A", 0.1)),
asyncio.create_task(worker("B", 0.2)),
asyncio.create_tas…Browse by section
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Concurrency & performance — Python code examples
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