import time
import itertools

# python 2.4
from processing import Queue, Process

def procmap(target, args, proc_nr):
    """Processes powered map function

    Acts like build-in `map` function, but result is in random order.
    """
    def _sub_procmap(target, args, resultbox):
        resultbox.put(map(target, args))
    step = len(args) / proc_nr
    q = Queue()
    processes = []
    for i in xrange(proc_nr):
        arg = itertools.islice(args, i * step, i * step + step)
        p = Process(target=_sub_procmap, args=[target, arg, q])
        processes.append(p)
    for p in processes:
        p.start()
    for p in processes:
        p.join()
    result = []
    while not q.empty():
        result.extend(q.get())
    return result

def _test():
    _test1()
    _test2()
    _test3()

def _test1():
    def double(value):
        return value * 2
    data = range(10000)
    assert sorted(procmap(double, data, 10)) == map(double, data)
    print "test1 - ok"

def _test2():
    def double(value):
        return value * 2
    data = range(10000)
    t = time.time()
    procmap(double, data, 20)
    print "test2 - procmap: %f sec" % (time.time() - t)
    t = time.time()
    map(double, data)
    print "test2 - map: %f sec" % (time.time() - t)

def _test3():
    def stress(value):
        while value < 100000:
            value += 1
    data = range(1000)
    t = time.time()
    procmap(stress, data, 20)
    print "test3 - procmap: %f sec" % (time.time() - t)
    t = time.time()
    map(stress, data)
    print "test3 - map: %f sec" % (time.time() - t)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    _test()

test1 - ok
test2 - procmap: 0.067223 sec
test2 - map: 0.007202 sec
test3 - procmap: 14.432514 sec
test3 - map: 26.298147 sec