Please make bool() on lists at least as fast as len() > 0 on lists is.

The trivial approach would be to define __bool__ on lists, that do something like  "True if self else False".

python3 
Python 3.6.3+ (heads/3.6-dirty:2b5cbbb13c, Nov  1 2017, 19:03:09) 
[GCC 6.4.1 20171025] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import timeit
>>> timeit.timeit('len([]) > 0')
0.0983404889702797
>>> timeit.timeit('bool([])')
0.15502946823835373
>>> timeit.timeit('True if [] else False')
0.03108721226453781
>>> timeit.timeit('len([1]) > 0')
0.11656427383422852
>>> timeit.timeit('bool([1])')
0.19317257404327393
>>> timeit.timeit('True if [1] else False')
0.057590410113334656

The cause of len() been faster than bool() is the same as why repr() is faster than str(). [1] len() and repr() are functions that just call corresponding slots, while bool() and str() are constructors.

In most cases you shouldn't use `bool(obj)` or `len(obj) > 0`. Instead use just `obj` in conditions.

If you can provide a patch that speeds up constructions of simple class instances, please open a pull request on GitHub. Otherwise this issue will be closed.

[1] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/45376719/why-is-reprint-faster-than-strint

To my understanding this optimization (bool([]) faster than len([])) cannot be made until PyObject_Bool is introduced, similar to PyObject_Repr and PyObject_Length.

Am I not going to provide a patch.

Under these circumstances https://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonSpeed/PerformanceTips shall be updated to state that 

"len('a list') > 0" is slower than "True if 'a list' else False"

I don't know what should mean PyObject_Bool(), but in C code you should use PyObject_IsTrue() for getting the boolean value of the object.

Is the speedup a matter of adding "__bool__" to list_methods in object/listobject.c?

In any case, I am not in the internals of cpython, so that I am not going to provide a patch.

With PyObject_Bool I meant PyObject_IsTrue.

ISTM that there isn't a real issue here and the discussions of proper timing technique and micro-optimizations are more suitable for StackOverflow.

I'm sure adding list.__bool__() will not affect the performance. The real source of the difference is explained on the StackOverflow link.

PEP 8 contains a rule for testing the emptiness of a container.