The most efficient Python program... probably

"There's only one way to write Hello World!" I have once called out when "borrowing" code from another developer. However, how many ways can someone actually write the basic Hello World?

Hello-Wah?! 

Writing the "Hello World" program is a classic first step for many programmers learning a new language. Python, in particular, offers several ways to display the text "Hello World" that consume less CPU cycles than using the built-in print() function. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most efficient ways to write the "Hello World" program in Python.

Using the sys.stdout.write()

The sys module provides a stdout attribute that is an instance of the file object representing standard output. By using the write() method of this attribute, we can display the "Hello World" text without the need for an additional function call.

import sys
sys.stdout.write("Hello World")

This method is relatively efficient, as it eliminates the overhead of calling the print() function and is an optimised way to write the string in the buffer of stdout

Using the print()

Ok this one is a cheat, the idea of the post was to remove the print() function, wasn't it? Well this is a slightly different use of the print function.

The print() function in Python adds a newline character by default at the end of the text. This can be removed by setting the end parameter to an empty string. This way the print function will use the default value of end parameter which is '\n'

print("Hello World", end="")

This approach reduces the overhead of the newline character and is slightly more efficient than the default behaviour of the print() function.

Using a C-extension:

Another way to optimise the "Hello World" program in Python is to use a C-extension to directly write to the standard output. This can be done using the ctypes module, which allows you to call C functions from Python. Not exactly like the program we might recognise on the right, we would write it a little differently:

from ctypes import *
libc = CDLL("libc.so.6")
libc.puts(b"Hello World")

This method is even more efficient than the previous methods, as it eliminates the overhead of the Python interpreter and uses the underlying C libraries for output.

Using the os.write() method

os.write() method of python provides a low-level way to write data to a file descriptor. It is faster than the print() and sys.stdout.write() method since it does not have the overhead of a function call.

import os
os.write(1, b'Hello World')

This is considered as the most efficient method of displaying "Hello World" in Python, this method is even faster than the method 3 as it uses OS's low-level function to perform write operation.

Wrap Up!

Well, who would have thought? here are several ways to display the "Hello World" text in Python that are more efficient than using the print() function. The methods discussed in this post include using the sys.stdout.write() method, the print() function with the end parameter set to an empty string, a C-extension, and os.write(). Each method has its own trade-offs and it's worth considering the specific requirements of your application when choosing the most efficient approach.

Don't worry you may borrow any sample from the above - Can you imagine if you owned the patent on "Hello World"?