Python -O won’t magically make every script faster, but in the right workloads it’s a free win—here’s how to test it safely.

Why write ten lines of code when one will do? From magic variable swaps to high-speed data counting, these Python snippets will transform your code.

The Windows version of the Python interpreter can be run from the command line the same way it’s run in other operating systems, by typing python or python3 at the prompt. But there’s a feature unique ...