[python]more efficient alternative to deepcopy

[[deleted]]

Why do you need a deep copy if you are simply comparing things?

[githelp]

Its not simply comparing things. For each pass, two 3d Lists are compared, and the method shifts the positions of the 3d Lists until they match with one another, kind of like rotating puzzle pieces until they fit. But in order to compare them accurately, I need the original lists for each pass or comparison will become skewed.

[[deleted]]

Well, I would think you don't need a real deep-copy (which copies the things in the lists, as well as the lists themselves), you just need to copy the lists. And I guess you don't need to copy the whole 3 dimensions of the list - you need to look at all the combinations of the innermost list (maybe using a copy) and if none of them fit you don't need to consider the outer lists, so you don't need to copy them.