Drawing lines / `add_shape()` is very slow, possible quadratic Schlemiel the Painter algorithm
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- Python
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Description
To reproduce: Create lines.py as follows:
import plotly.graph_objects as go
import plotly.express as px
import time
import random
N = [50, 100, 200, 400, 800]
def plot_random_lines(n):
fig = go.Figure()
for i in range(n):
c = [random.random() for _ in [0, 1, 2, 3]]
fig.add_shape(type='line', x0=c[0], y0=c[1], x1=c[2], y1=c[3])
# We don't show the figure to avoid any possible influence from the
# graphics driver.
def timings():
t_cum = []
for n in N:
t0 = time.process_time_ns()
plot_random_lines(n)
t_cum.append((time.process_time_ns() - t0) / 1e6)
t_per_line = [t/n for (t, n) in zip(t_cum, N)]
fig1 = px.scatter(x=N, y=t_cum, labels={'x': 'Number of lines', 'y': 'Cumulative time [ms]'})
fig1.show()
fig2 = px.scatter(x=N, y=t_per_line, labels={'x': 'Number of lines', 'y': 'Time per line [ms]'})
fig2.show()
timings()
Install plotly and run the above example.
- Expected: Draws the lines in a few milliseconds
- Actual: It takes more than half a minute on a modern MacBook
Notice that the time per line increases linearly with the number of lines drawn.
This looks like a classic example of a Schlemiel the painter algorithm, candidate for
Joel Spolsky's collection.
Observations
I suspect that the following code locations are related to the bug.
- In https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/blob/master/packages/python/plotly/plotly/basedatatypes.py#L5310,
curr_valincreases in length with each call toadd_shape(). - In https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/blob/master/packages/python/plotly/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py#L2553,
vincreases in length with each call.
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First steps
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Research direction
Start with packages/python/plotly/plotly/basedatatypes.py around line 5310 and packages/python/plotly/_plotly_utils/basevalidators.py around line 2553, then run the supplied lines.py reproduction. Check how values grow across repeated add_shape() calls. Done means drawing many lines no longer shows linearly increasing time per line and completes in milliseconds as expected.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- data-visualization, performance
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100