core::Zip::next_back() slow for iterators of different lengths
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Description
The following example is a benchmark of core::Zip::next_back() with iterators of very different lengths.
use std::iter::*;
use std::time::Instant;
fn main() {
let start = Instant::now();
for _ in 0..10_000 {
once(0).zip(repeat_n(1, 1_000_000)).next();
}
let end = Instant::now();
println!("next(): {:.2} ns/iter", end.duration_since(start).as_secs_f64() * 100_000f64);
let start = Instant::now();
for _ in 0..10_000 {
once(0).zip(repeat_n(1, 1_000_000)).next_back();
}
let end = Instant::now();
println!("next_back(): {:.2} ns/iter", end.duration_since(start).as_secs_f64() * 100_000f64);
}
It outputs:
next(): 0.02 ns/iter
next_back(): 357483.04 ns/iter
This is caused by Zip::next_back() calling the longer iterator's next_back() until both iterators are the same length. For iterators not implementing TrustedRandomAccessNoCoerce this could be sped up significantly by using advance_back_by() instead.
I'm not sure if this can be optimised for iterators implementing TrustedRandomAccessNoCoerce but not TrustedRandomAccess, as they use the same next_back() implemntation but cannot safely use advance_back_by().
Rust version
rustc 1.90.0 (1159e78c4 2025-09-14)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: 1159e78c4747b02ef996e55082b704c09b970588
commit-date: 2025-09-14
host: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
release: 1.90.0
LLVM version: 20.1.8
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start at the core::Zip::next_back() implementation and inspect how it handles iterators with different lengths, including the TrustedRandomAccessNoCoerce distinction and advance_back_by(). Reproduce the supplied benchmark first, then verify that the optimized behavior preserves correctness and improves the reported next_back() timing.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- rust
- Domain
- performance
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100