The Boston Diaries

The ongoing saga of a programmer who doesn't live in Boston, nor does he even like Boston, but yet named his weblog/journal “The Boston Diaries.”

Go figure.

Friday, February 13, 2015

A missed optimization in Lua

Yesterday, I made brief mention of optimizing some Lua code, and said it was for another post.

This is said post.

The code in question (not identical, but this exhibits the same problem):

             require "ddt".tron() -- trace the execution
local lpeg = require "lpeg"

local Cs = lpeg.Cs
local C  = lpeg.C
local R  = lpeg.R
local P  = lpeg.P

function canonical(header)
  local function Pi(text)
  
    local pattern = P(true)
    for c in text:gmatch(".") do
      pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
    end
    
    return pattern / text
  end
  
  local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
  
  local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
           + Pi "MIME"
           + Pi "CSeq"
  
  local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
             / function(i,r)
                 return i:upper() .. r:lower()
               end
  local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
  local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
  
  return hdr:match(header)
end

print(canonical "return-from")
print(canonical "message-id")
print(canonical "mime-version")
print(canonical "cseq")

The code in question transforms a header name like return-from to the canonical form Return-From; it'll also transform ReTuRn-FRom into the canonical form. The code is used to match headers in Internet based messages like email, HTTP or SIP (as the header names need to match case-insensitively—I'll leave how it works to you, the reader (here are some hints) since what the code does isn't germane to this discussion). Now, when you trace the execution, you'll notice something:

@./ddt.lua             187: end
@code.lua                2: local lpeg = require "lpeg"
@code.lua                4: local Cs = lpeg.Cs
@code.lua                5: local C  = lpeg.C
@code.lua                6: local R  = lpeg.R
@code.lua                7: local P  = lpeg.P
@code.lua               34: end
@code.lua                9: function canonical(header)
@code.lua               36: print(canonical "return-from")
@code.lua               18:   end
@code.lua               20:   local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
@code.lua               22:   local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               23:            + Pi "MIME"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               24:            + Pi "CSeq"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               26:   local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
@code.lua               29:                end
@code.lua               30:   local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
@code.lua               31:   local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
@code.lua               33:   return hdr:match(header)
@code.lua               28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@code.lua               28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@code.lua               37: print(canonical "message-id")
@code.lua               18:   end
@code.lua               20:   local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
@code.lua               22:   local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               23:            + Pi "MIME"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               24:            + Pi "CSeq"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               26:   local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
@code.lua               29:                end
@code.lua               30:   local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
@code.lua               31:   local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
@code.lua               33:   return hdr:match(header)
@code.lua               28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@code.lua               38: print(canonical "mime-version")
@code.lua               18:   end
@code.lua               20:   local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
@code.lua               22:   local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               23:            + Pi "MIME"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               24:            + Pi "CSeq"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               26:   local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
@code.lua               29:                end
@code.lua               30:   local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
@code.lua               31:   local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
@code.lua               33:   return hdr:match(header)
@code.lua               28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@code.lua               39: print(canonical "cseq")
@code.lua               18:   end
@code.lua               20:   local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
@code.lua               22:   local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               23:            + Pi "MIME"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               24:            + Pi "CSeq"
@code.lua               12:     local pattern = P(true)
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@code.lua               13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@code.lua               17:     return pattern / text
@code.lua               26:   local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
@code.lua               29:                end
@code.lua               30:   local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
@code.lua               31:   local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
@code.lua               33:   return hdr:match(header)

There's quite a bit of code executed. That's because the Lua compiler isn't sufficiently smart to notice that most of the code in canonical() never changes—it's independent of the passed in parameter and thus, it could be compiled once. And it's this behavior that I noticed the other day. It's an easy fix (just lift the invarient code out of the function body) and the results are about a third the processing:

@./ddt.lua             187: end
@c3.lua                  2: local lpeg = require "lpeg"
@c3.lua                  4: local Cs = lpeg.Cs
@c3.lua                  5: local C  = lpeg.C
@c3.lua                  6: local R  = lpeg.R
@c3.lua                  7: local P  = lpeg.P
@c3.lua                 18:   end
@c3.lua                 20:   local ALPHA = R("AZ","az")
@c3.lua                 22:   local id = Pi "ID" -- exceptions to Camel-Case
@c3.lua                 12:     local pattern = P(true)
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 17:     return pattern / text
@c3.lua                 23:            + Pi "MIME"
@c3.lua                 12:     local pattern = P(true)
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 17:     return pattern / text
@c3.lua                 24:            + Pi "CSeq"
@c3.lua                 12:     local pattern = P(true)
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 14:       pattern = pattern * (P(c:lower()) + P(c:upper()))
@c3.lua                 13:     for c in text:gmatch(".") do
@c3.lua                 17:     return pattern / text
@c3.lua                 26:   local word = (C(ALPHA) * C(ALPHA^0))
@c3.lua                 29:                end
@c3.lua                 30:   local other = C((P(1) - ALPHA)^1)
@c3.lua                 31:   local hdr   = Cs((id + word + other)^1)
@c3.lua                 35:   end
@c3.lua                 33:   function canonical(header)
@c3.lua                 35:   end
@c3.lua                 38: print(canonical "return-from")
@c3.lua                 34:   return hdr:match(header)
@c3.lua                 28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@c3.lua                 28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@c3.lua                 39: print(canonical "message-id")
@c3.lua                 34:   return hdr:match(header)
@c3.lua                 28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@c3.lua                 40: print(canonical "mime-version")
@c3.lua                 34:   return hdr:match(header)
@c3.lua                 28:                  return i:upper() .. r:lower()
@c3.lua                 41: print(canonical "cseq")
@c3.lua                 34:   return hdr:match(header)

I also recorded the execution with LuaJIT (it's faster because it compiles Lua into native code) and it, too, is not sufficiently smart to lift the constant code out of the function. It may be that detecting this is hard for a compiler to do, or that such transformations might not be considered safe (due to possible side effects).

In any case, I found it a bit surprising (although in retrospect, it shouldn't have been).

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