Algorithm Performance Showdown

A performance comparison test on different algorithms implemented in Python, C, and Zig.

app.py

Source File

This application takes in the CLI arguments, creates a TestReport, creates randomized test data and passes that data to the algorithm. The TestReport is then saved, which saves data related to the tests in JSON format into a reports subdirectory.

CLI Usage

usage: app.py [-h] [--num-iterations NUM_ITERATIONS] [--num-elements NUM_ELEMENTS] [--algorithm {c_quicksort,py_quicksort,zig_quicksort}]

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --num-iterations, -n NUM_ITERATIONS
                        Number of iterations to run for each algorithm.
  --num-elements, -e NUM_ELEMENTS
                        Number of elements in the test data used as input for each algorithm.
  --algorithm, -a {c_quicksort,py_quicksort,zig_quicksort}
                        The algorithm to test.

build.zig

You will need to build the C libraries and Zig libraries using zig build. For more advanced usage, utilize the CLI arguments.

CLI Usage

Usage: zig build [steps] [options]

Steps:
  install (default)            Copy build artifacts to prefix path
  uninstall                    Remove build artifacts from prefix path
  c_quicksort                  Build the c_quicksort shared library.
  zig_quicksort                Build the zig_quicksort shared library.
  all                          Build all libraries.

Sorting Algorithms

Quicksort

PythonImpl Results

Source File

{
  "algorithm": "py_quicksort",
  "num_iterations": 100,
  "num_elements": 1000,
  "total_elapsed_time": 0.09324749999359483,
  "average": 0.0009324749999359483,
  "minimum": 0.0007798000006005168,
  "maximum": 0.0015515000050072558
}

CImpl Results

Source File

{
  "algorithm": "c_quicksort",
  "num_iterations": 100,
  "num_elements": 1000,
  "total_elapsed_time": 0.01527510002051713,
  "average": 0.0001527510002051713,
  "minimum": 0.00012479999713832512,
  "maximum": 0.00027260000206297264
}

ZigImpl Results

Source File

{
  "algorithm": "zig_quicksort",
  "num_iterations": 100,
  "num_elements": 1000,
  "total_elapsed_time": 0.013725400021940004,
  "average": 0.00013725400021940003,
  "minimum": 0.00012479999713832512,
  "maximum": 0.00026839999918593094
}

Join the Conversation

If you have comments or suggestions, or just want to lurk around the thread for this repo, check it out on Ziggit.

https://ziggit.dev/t/comparing-python-zig-and-c/6883