⚡️ Speed up function function_has_return_statement by 77% in PR #1227 (limit-install-version)#1235
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The optimization achieves a **77% speedup** (from 1.29ms to 725μs) by restructuring the depth-first search to check the most common locations for return statements first, avoiding unnecessary traversal overhead. ## Key Optimizations 1. **Fast-path for top-level returns**: The optimized version first scans `function_node.body` directly before initiating the full DFS. Since most functions with returns have them at the top level, this short-circuits the expensive `ast.iter_child_nodes()` calls in the majority of cases. 2. **Reduced stack initialization overhead**: Instead of initializing the stack with `[function_node]` and then iterating over its children, the optimized code starts the stack with `list(body)`, skipping the wrapper function node entirely. This saves one unnecessary iteration. 3. **Early empty-body check**: By checking `if not body` upfront, the code avoids creating an empty stack and entering the while loop for functions with no statements. ## Performance Impact by Test Pattern The optimization excels when: - **Return is at top-level** (e.g., simple functions with direct returns): **300-500% faster** - the fast-path loop finds the return immediately without DFS overhead - **Return is early in a large function**: **3,800-26,000% faster** for functions with 100+ statements - avoids traversing all subsequent AST nodes - **Functions without returns but minimal nesting**: **10-20% faster** - benefits from reduced stack initialization overhead The optimization shows minimal or slight regression when: - **Return is deeply nested** (e.g., inside if/try/for blocks at level 2+): **0-5% slower** - the fast-path check adds overhead before falling back to DFS - **Very complex nested structures**: **~4% slower** - the additional top-level scan doesn't help when returns are buried deep ## Line Profiler Evidence The key improvement is visible in the line profiler: `ast.iter_child_nodes()` was called **1,366 times** (82.4% of runtime) in the original versus **679 times** (73.2% of runtime) in the optimized version - nearly a 50% reduction in expensive child node iterations, achieved by the fast-path detecting returns before the full DFS begins.
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⚡️ This pull request contains optimizations for PR #1227
If you approve this dependent PR, these changes will be merged into the original PR branch
limit-install-version.📄 77% (0.77x) speedup for
function_has_return_statementincodeflash/discovery/functions_to_optimize.py⏱️ Runtime :
1.29 milliseconds→725 microseconds(best of41runs)📝 Explanation and details
The optimization achieves a 77% speedup (from 1.29ms to 725μs) by restructuring the depth-first search to check the most common locations for return statements first, avoiding unnecessary traversal overhead.
Key Optimizations
Fast-path for top-level returns: The optimized version first scans
function_node.bodydirectly before initiating the full DFS. Since most functions with returns have them at the top level, this short-circuits the expensiveast.iter_child_nodes()calls in the majority of cases.Reduced stack initialization overhead: Instead of initializing the stack with
[function_node]and then iterating over its children, the optimized code starts the stack withlist(body), skipping the wrapper function node entirely. This saves one unnecessary iteration.Early empty-body check: By checking
if not bodyupfront, the code avoids creating an empty stack and entering the while loop for functions with no statements.Performance Impact by Test Pattern
The optimization excels when:
The optimization shows minimal or slight regression when:
Line Profiler Evidence
The key improvement is visible in the line profiler:
ast.iter_child_nodes()was called 1,366 times (82.4% of runtime) in the original versus 679 times (73.2% of runtime) in the optimized version - nearly a 50% reduction in expensive child node iterations, achieved by the fast-path detecting returns before the full DFS begins.✅ Correctness verification report:
🌀 Click to see Generated Regression Tests
To edit these changes
git checkout codeflash/optimize-pr1227-2026-02-01T14.30.56and push.