Byte compiled pyc files

Byte compiled pyc files

In Python, byte-compiled .pyc files are created when a Python module is imported and compiled into bytecode. Bytecode is a lower-level representation of the code that is more efficient to execute than the original Python source code.

The creation of .pyc files is handled automatically by the Python interpreter, and they are stored in the same directory as the corresponding .py file. When a module is imported, the interpreter checks if a .pyc file exists and if it is up to date with the corresponding .py file. If so, the .pyc file is used instead of recompiling the Python source code.

The creation of .pyc files can improve the startup time of Python programs because the compilation step is skipped when the .pyc file is up to date. However, the performance gain is typically modest and may be negligible for small programs. It is worth noting that .pyc files are platform-specific, meaning that a .pyc file created on one operating system or Python version may not be usable on another. Therefore, it is recommended to include both the .py and .pyc files when distributing Python modules to ensure compatibility across different environments.

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