Python: setattr() vs. direct object manipulation

results.txt

$ python test_setattr.py 
test_setattr 0.11335835400000001
test_direct_object_manipulation 0.04550438199999998

$ python test_setattr_data_types.py
int
setattr() 0.104297199
direct obj manipulation 0.046985358000000005
float
setattr() 0.097025698
direct obj manipulation 0.04825673800000002
str
setattr() 0.09857281400000001
direct obj manipulation 0.04611676800000003
dict
setattr() 0.12178510400000003
direct obj manipulation 0.06695936300000005
list
setattr() 0.10662076100000006
direct obj manipulation 0.056601951999999955

$ python test_getattr_data_types.py
int
getattr() 0.085680231
direct obj manipulation 0.031511027999999996
float
getattr() 0.079186949
direct obj manipulation 0.03169878300000001
str
getattr() 0.07892938700000002
direct obj manipulation 0.03222381699999999
dict
getattr() 0.07942887300000001
direct obj manipulation 0.031215796000000018
list
getattr() 0.07849608599999996
direct obj manipulation 0.032060817999999935

test_getattr_data_types.py

import timeit


setup_str = """
class A(object):
    pass
a = A()
a.int = 5
a.float = 0.5
a.str = 'bar'
a.dict = {'foo': 'bar'}
a.list = ['a', 'b', 'c']
"""

equivalent_functions = {
    'int': ("getattr(a, 'int')", "a.int"),
    'float': ("getattr(a, 'float')", "a.float"),
    'str': ("getattr(a, 'str')", "a.str"),
    'dict': ("getattr(a, 'dict')", "a.dict"),
    'list': ("getattr(a, 'list')", "a.list"),
}


def main():
    for data_type, functions in equivalent_functions.items():
        print(data_type)
        print("getattr()", timeit.timeit(functions[0], setup_str))
        print("direct obj manipulation", timeit.timeit(functions[1], setup_str))


main()

test_setattr.py

import timeit


setup_str = """
class A(object):
    pass
a = A()
"""


def test_setattr():
    return timeit.timeit("setattr(a, 'foo', 'bar')", setup=setup_str)


def test_direct_object_manipulation():
    return timeit.timeit("a.foo = 'bar'", setup=setup_str)


def main():
    print("test_setattr", test_setattr())
    print("test_direct_object_manipulation", test_direct_object_manipulation())


main()

test_setattr_data_types.py

import timeit


setup_str = """
class A(object):
    pass
a = A()
"""

equivalent_functions = {
    'int': ("setattr(a, 'foo', 5)", "a.foo = 5"),
    'float': ("setattr(a, 'foo', 0.5)", "a.foo = 0.5"),
    'str': ("setattr(a, 'foo', 'bar')", "a.foo = 'bar'"),
    'dict': ("setattr(a, 'foo', {})", "a.foo = {}"),
    'list': ("setattr(a, 'foo', [])", "a.foo = []"),
}


def main():
    for data_type, functions in equivalent_functions.items():
        print(data_type)
        print("setattr()", timeit.timeit(functions[0], setup_str))
        print("direct obj manipulation", timeit.timeit(functions[1], setup_str))


main()