list_string_set.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import timeit

REP = 100

def perf_set():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}
        'c' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}
        'e' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}

def perf_set_large():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}
        '9' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}
        'e' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}

def perf_set_small():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in {'A', 'B'}
        'B' in {'A', 'B'}

def perf_list():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
        'c' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
        'e' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

def perf_list_large():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']
        '9' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']
        'e' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']

def perf_list_small():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in ['A', 'B']
        'B' in ['A', 'B']

def perf_string():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in 'abcde'
        'c' in 'abcde'
        'e' in 'abcde'

def perf_string_large():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'
        '9' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'
        'e' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'

def perf_string_small():
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in 'AB'
        'B' in 'AB'


# pre instantiated


def perf_set_prei():
    struc = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in struc
        'c' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_set_large_prei():
    struc = {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        '9' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_set_small_prei():
    struc = {'A', 'B'}
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        'B' in struc

def perf_list_prei():
    struc = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in struc
        'c' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_list_large_prei():
    struc = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        '9' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_list_small_prei():
    struc = ['A', 'B']
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        'B' in struc

def perf_string_prei():
    struc = 'abcde'
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in struc
        'c' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_string_large_prei():
    struc = 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        '9' in struc
        'e' in struc

def perf_string_small_prei():
    struc = 'AB'
    for i in range(REP):
        'A' in struc
        'B' in struc


t_set = []
t_set_ = []
for i in range(0,100):
    t_set.append(timeit.timeit("'a' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}"))
    t_set.append(timeit.timeit("'c' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}"))
    t_set.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}"))
    t_set_.append(timeit.timeit("'A' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}"))
    t_set_.append(timeit.timeit("'9' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}"))
    t_set_.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'}"))

t_list = []
t_list_ = []
for i in range(0,100):
    t_list.append(timeit.timeit("'a' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']"))
    t_list.append(timeit.timeit("'c' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']"))
    t_list.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']"))
    t_list_.append(timeit.timeit("'A' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']"))
    t_list_.append(timeit.timeit("'9' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']"))
    t_list_.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']"))

t_string = []
t_string_ = []
for i in range(0,100):
    t_string.append(timeit.timeit("'a' in 'abcd'"))
    t_string.append(timeit.timeit("'c' in 'abcde'"))
    t_string.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in 'abcde'"))
    t_string_.append(timeit.timeit("'A' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'"))
    t_string_.append(timeit.timeit("'9' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'"))
    t_string_.append(timeit.timeit("'e' in 'ABCDEFabcdef0123456789'"))


print("set:", sum(t_set)/len(t_set), "max:", max(t_set), "min:", min(t_set))
print("list:", sum(t_list)/len(t_list), "max:", max(t_list), "min:", min(t_list))
print("string:", sum(t_string)/len(t_string), "max:", max(t_string), "min:", min(t_string))

print("set:", sum(t_set_)/len(t_set_), "max:", max(t_set_), "min:", min(t_set_))
print("list:", sum(t_list_)/len(t_list_), "max:", max(t_list_), "min:", min(t_list_))
print("string:", sum(t_string_)/len(t_string_), "max:", max(t_string_), "min:", min(t_string_))

print("med")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string))

print("large")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set_large))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list_large))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string_large))

print("small")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set_small))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list_small))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string_small))

print("pre instantiated")
print("med")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set_prei))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list_prei))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string_prei))

print("large")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set_large_prei))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list_large_prei))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string_large_prei))

print("small")
print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set_small_prei))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list_small_prei))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string_small_prei))

Gave me:

set: 0.015305645174812525 max: 0.03733481699600816 min: 0.013929764972999692
list: 0.03522656516249602 max: 0.06649509409908205 min: 0.013712542015127838
string: 0.019652776912165184 max: 0.021610349067486823 min: 0.018773655989207327
set: 0.015334985691588372 max: 0.02781434601638466 min: 0.013986732927151024
list: 0.1232732943216494 max: 0.2598540399922058 min: 0.013983548968099058
string: 0.021408032092731445 max: 0.02452279895078391 min: 0.02095441601704806
med
set: 4.33580927294679
list: 9.819138881983235
string: 5.124241805984639
large
set: 4.253970311023295
list: 38.27021916303784
string: 7.370228588930331
small
set: 3.2596762550529093
list: 4.000598898972385
string: 3.793448842014186
pre instantiated
med
set: 5.077883017016575
list: 10.996522731031291
string: 5.879405615036376
large
set: 5.410832240944728
list: 40.94489747402258
string: 8.189537095022388
small
set: 3.5728113469667733
list: 4.526656825910322
string: 4.068402747041546

Here an alternative take which might have less variance

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import timeit

REP = 100

def perf_set():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}
        'c' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}
        'e' in {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'}


def perf_list():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
        'c' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
        'e' in ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']

def perf_string():
    for i in range(REP):
        'a' in 'abcd'
        'c' in 'abcde'
        'e' in 'abcde'


print("set:", timeit.timeit(perf_set))
print("list:", timeit.timeit(perf_list))
print("string:", timeit.timeit(perf_string))

result:

set: 6.141264303994831
list: 15.489817345980555
string: 7.29842415699386

did not know, how timeit works

we could also test, how the timing behaves in comparison for already instantiated sets/lists/string, as well as for small (two elements) and large ones.

somebody must have done that already. probably set wins slightly_smiling_face

Now I have updated it and it appears that variable lookup is slower than set creation