`url-retrieve-synchronously' is dead slow

README.md

On my Macbook url-retrieve-synchronously in Emacs 24 is dead slow when running in the graphical user interface while running it in a terminal (-nw) it is quite fast. That's weird.

Please try to evaluate the code below in an Emacs started with and without -nw (and both times started with -Q to rule out local configuration).

Please let me know if you also notice a remarkable speed difference. And please also let me know if you know why and what to do about it :-)

/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -Q

/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -Q -nw

[Arne Jørgensen](mailto:[email protected]) / [@arnejoergensen](https://twitter.com/arnejoergensen)

Test result with -nw.txt

Function Name                       Call Count  Elapsed Time  Average Time                                                                                                           
url-retrieve-synchronously          1           0.203976      0.203976
url-retrieve                        1           0.09288       0.09288
url-retrieve-internal               1           0.092875      0.092875
url-scheme-get-property             8           0.039584      0.004948
url-do-setup                        2           0.007301      0.0036505
url-cookie-parse-file               1           0.001133      0.001133
url-history-parse-history           1           0.000431      0.000431
url-lazy-message                    2           0.000174      8.7e-05
url-generic-parse-url               3           0.000167      5.566...e-05
url-encode-url                      1           9.1e-05       9.1e-05
url-file-directory                  1           3.2e-05       3.2e-05
url-find-proxy-for-url              1           2.3e-05       2.3e-05
url-cookie-generate-header-lines    1           2e-05         2e-05
url-debug                           19          1.900...e-05  1.000...e-06
url-cookie-setup-save-timer         1           1.5e-05       1.5e-05
url-setup-privacy-info              1           1.4e-05       1.4e-05
url-scheme-register-proxy           1           1.4e-05       1.4e-05
url-cookie-retrieve                 1           1.4e-05       1.4e-05
url-recreate-url                    2           1.300...e-05  6.500...e-06
url-hexify-string                   2           1.2e-05       6e-06
url-pretty-length                   2           9e-06         4.5e-06
url-default-find-proxy-for-url      1           8e-06         8e-06
url-history-setup-save-timer        1           6e-06         6e-06
url-device-type                     3           3e-06         1e-06
url-percentage                      2           3e-06         1.5e-06
url-path-and-query                  1           3e-06         3e-06
url-type                            3           2e-06         6.666...e-07
url-display-percentage              2           2e-06         1e-06
url-gc-dead-buffers                 1           1e-06         1e-06
url-port-if-non-default             2           1e-06         5e-07

Test result without -nw.txt

Function Name                       Call Count  Elapsed Time  Average Time
url-retrieve-synchronously          1           29.87796      29.87796
url-retrieve                        1           0.03272       0.03272
url-retrieve-internal               1           0.032715      0.032715
url-scheme-get-property             8           0.025576      0.003197
url-do-setup                        2           0.00269       0.001345
url-cookie-parse-file               1           0.000707      0.000707
url-lazy-message                    2           0.000217      0.0001085
url-generic-parse-url               3           0.000149      4.966...e-05
url-encode-url                      1           9.1e-05       9.1e-05
url-history-parse-history           1           3.7e-05       3.7e-05
url-file-directory                  1           3.1e-05       3.1e-05
url-debug                           19          3.000...e-05  1.578...e-06
url-find-proxy-for-url              1           2.8e-05       2.8e-05
url-scheme-register-proxy           1           2.5e-05       2.5e-05
url-cookie-generate-header-lines    1           1.8e-05       1.8e-05
url-setup-privacy-info              1           1.4e-05       1.4e-05
url-cookie-retrieve                 1           1.4e-05       1.4e-05
url-recreate-url                    2           1.300...e-05  6.500...e-06
url-hexify-string                   2           1.300...e-05  6.500...e-06
url-pretty-length                   2           1.2e-05       6e-06
url-cookie-setup-save-timer         1           1.1e-05       1.1e-05
url-default-find-proxy-for-url      1           1.1e-05       1.1e-05
url-percentage                      2           4.999...e-06  2.499...e-06
url-history-setup-save-timer        1           4e-06         4e-06
url-type                            3           3e-06         1e-06
url-path-and-query                  1           3e-06         3e-06
url-device-type                     3           2e-06         6.666...e-07
url-port-if-non-default             2           2e-06         1e-06
url-display-percentage              2           2e-06         1e-06
url-gc-dead-buffers                 1           0.0           0.0

test-url-retrieve.el

(with-temp-buffer
  (require 'elp)
  (require 'url)
  (when (not (member 'url-retrieve elp-all-instrumented-list))
    (elp-instrument-package "url-"))
  (url-insert-file-contents "http://arnested.dk/robots.txt")
  (elp-results))