Sys.getsizeof
sys.getsizeof is a Python standard-library function that returns an object's shallow memory size in bytes.
Fast Python: High performance techniques for large datasets
- How it is used
- Estimates Python object memory while diagnosing data-structure overhead and performance constraints.
- How deep it goes
- Explains shallow container sizing, referenced content, recursive accounting, and low-level allocation limits.
- Examples
- Measures dictionary variants, station lists, file-sized strings, character objects, and expanded in-memory representations.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate memory estimates by separating container overhead, referenced contents, object representation, and unreported library allocations.
Read how Fast Python: High performance techniques for large datasets explains sys.getsizeof →
Python Workout: 50 ten-minute exercises
sys.getsizeof is a Python function that returns the shallow memory size of an object in bytes.
- How it is used
- Measures list size while revealing spare capacity and allocation overhead during appends.
- How deep it goes
- Explains pointer arrays and spare allocation, but stops short of fine-tuned memory-control techniques.
- Examples
- Demonstrates a REPL loop that prints list length and reported size after successive appends.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose/debug with it by observing when list growth triggers larger allocations.
Read how Python Workout: 50 ten-minute exercises explains sys.getsizeof →
Related concepts
- listmeasures · A list is an ordered collection of elements arranged in a sequence.
- data structuremeasures · A data structure is an organized representation of data and its relationships that supports defined operations for storing, accessing, or modifying it.
- memory allocationmeasures · Memory allocation is the process of reserving or assigning storage for program data and objects during execution.
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