What is the difference between shallow copying and deep copying?

What is the difference between shallow copying and deep copying?

Shallow copying creates a new object but inserts references into it to the objects found in the original. Deep copying, on the other hand, creates a new object and recursively copies all objects found in the original, resulting in a completely independent object.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In Python, you can use the copy module. For shallow copying, you can use copy.copy(original), and for deep copying, use copy.deepcopy(original).

When should I use shallow copying over deep copying?

Use shallow copying when you want to save memory and don't need to modify nested objects. Use deep copying when you need a completely independent copy.

Are there any performance implications?

Yes, deep copying is generally slower and uses more memory than shallow copying because it copies all nested objects.