What is the difference between shallow copy and deep copy in programming?

What is the difference between shallow copy and deep copy in programming?

A shallow copy creates a new object but inserts references into it to the objects found in the original. A deep copy, on the other hand, creates a new object and recursively adds copies of nested objects found in the original.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In Python, you can use the copy module. A shallow copy can be made with copy.copy(), while a deep copy is made with copy.deepcopy().

What are the use cases for each type of copy?

Shallow copies are useful when you want to duplicate an object but don't need to copy nested objects. Deep copies are essential when you need a complete, independent copy of an object and all its nested objects.

Are there any performance implications between the two?

Yes, deep copies can be more resource-intensive and slower than shallow copies, especially for large objects with many nested structures.