apache / apache/datafusion-sqlparser-rs
Improve performance by not copying `Token`s as much
- Dominant language
- Rust
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- Merged PRs (30d)
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Description
Part of https://github.com/apache/datafusion-sqlparser-rs/issues/1557
While looking at the flamegraph posted to that ticket, one obvious source of improvement is to stop copying each token so much.
Functions like `peek_token()`, and `expect_token()` copy the `Token` (which often includes a string)
```rust
impl Parser {
// returns an OWNED TokenWithLocation
pub fn peek_token(&self) -> TokenWithLocation {
...
}
}
```
For example
https://github.com/apache/datafusion-sqlparser-rs/blob/2e90e105a74bf9f50f2bad6c22992759ddb06880/src/parser/mod.rs#L3314-L3334
In the above code, the `non_whitespace.cloned()` call actually copies the token (and string) even when many callsites only need to check what it is and could get by with a &
## Suggestions for improvements
The biggest suggestion is to stop copying each token unless it actually needed a clone. For example instead of this
```rust
impl Parser {
// returns an OWNED TokenWithLocation
pub fn peek_token(&self) -> TokenWithLocation {
...
}
}
```
Make it like this
```rust
impl Parser {
// returns an reference to TokenWithLocation
// (the & means no copying!)
pub fn peek_token_ref(&self) -> &TokenWithLocation {
...
}
}
```
I think we could do this without massive breaking changes by adding new functions like `peek_token_ref()` that returned a reference to the token rather than a clone
## Ideas
I played around with it a bit and here is what I came up with. I think a similar pattern could be applied to other places
```rust
impl Parser {
...
/// Return the first non-whitespace token that has not yet been processed
/// (or None if reached end-of-file) and mark it as processed. OK to call
/// repeatedly after reaching EOF.
pub fn next_token(&mut self) -> TokenWithLocation {
self.next_token_ref().clone()
}
/// Return the first non-whitespace token that has not yet been processed
/// (or None if reached end-of-file) and mark it as processed. OK to call
/// repeatedly after reaching EOF.
pub fn next_token_ref(&mut self) -> &TokenWithLocation {
loop {
self.index += 1;
// skip whitespace
if let Some(TokenWithLocation {
token: Token::Whitespace(_),
location: _,
}) = self.tokens.get(self.index - 1) {
continue
}
break;
}
if (self.index - 1) < self.tokens.len() {
&self.tokens[self.index - 1]
}
else {
eof_token()
}
}
...
}
static EOF_TOKEN: OnceLock = OnceLock::new();
fn eof_token() -> &'static TokenWithLocation {
EOF_TOKEN.get_or_init(|| {
TokenWithLocation::wrap(Token::EOF)
})
}
```
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start in src/parser/mod.rs, especially peek_token(), expect_token(), and the non_whitespace.cloned() call identified in the issue. Trace which call sites only inspect tokens versus requiring owned values, then preserve existing parser behavior while eliminating unnecessary Token copies; the work is done when those paths avoid redundant cloning without breaking the existing APIs.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- rust
- Domain
- compilers, performance
- Issue type
- Refactor
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100