gh-153568: Skip the expression precedence chain for single-token atoms (#153575)

A bare name or number followed by a token that cannot extend an expression now produces its AST node directly. This avoids the expression precedence chain for common arguments, assignments, and subscripts.

Rules declare the hook with a fastpath flag. The Rule constructor exposes memo and fastpath attributes, and the C generator emits the hook call.

Co-authored-by: Lysandros Nikolaou <lisandrosnik@gmail.com>

Grammar/python.gram

@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ named_expression[expr_ty]:
     | invalid_named_expression
     | expression !':='
 
-disjunction[expr_ty] (memo):
+disjunction[expr_ty] (memo, fastpath=_PyPegen_atom_fast_path):
     | a=conjunction b=('or' c=conjunction { c })+ { _PyAST_BoolOp(
         Or,
         CHECK(asdl_expr_seq*, _PyPegen_seq_insert_in_front(p, a, b)),
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ conjunction[expr_ty] (memo):
         EXTRA) }
     | inversion
 
-inversion[expr_ty] (memo):
+inversion[expr_ty] (memo, fastpath=_PyPegen_atom_fast_path):
     | 'not' a=inversion { _PyAST_UnaryOp(Not, a, EXTRA) }
     | comparison
 

InternalDocs/parser.md

@@ -616,6 +616,51 @@ actions. As with memoization, actions must not invalidate cached results. In
 particular, suffix actions must not move the parser before their starting mark,
 rewrite buffered input, or replace memo entries for earlier positions.
 
+Fast-path hooks
+---------------
+
+Some rules are entered so often that even the bookkeeping of trying their
+alternatives is expensive. Consider parsing the argument ``a`` in a call
+like ``f(a, b)``: the argument is a full expression, so the parser descends
+the whole operator precedence chain
+
+```
+expression -> disjunction -> conjunction -> inversion -> comparison
+    -> bitwise_or -> bitwise_xor -> bitwise_and -> shift_expr -> sum
+    -> term -> factor -> power -> await_primary -> primary -> atom
+```
+
+before it can produce the ``Name`` node for ``a``: around fourteen rule
+invocations, each paying its own C-stack check and memoization lookups, to
+consume a single token. But since the following token is ``,``, which
+cannot continue any binary or postfix expression, that outcome is already
+known after peeking at two tokens.
+
+For cases like this a rule can declare a hand-written C hook with the
+``fastpath`` flag, next to where ``memo`` goes:
+
+```
+disjunction[expr_ty] (memo, fastpath=_PyPegen_atom_fast_path):
+```
+
+The generator calls the hook on rule entry, before any alternative is tried:
+
+```c
+if (_PyPegen_atom_fast_path(p, &_res)) {
+    p->level--;
+    return _res;
+}
+```
+
+The hook receives the parser and a pointer to the rule's result variable and
+returns 1 if it handled the parse (storing its result, which can be ``NULL``
+to signal failure with ``p->error_indicator`` set) or 0 to fall through to
+the rule's normal alternatives. The generator knows nothing about what the
+hook does: all parsing logic lives in the hook itself, next to the other
+token helpers in [`Parser/pegen.c`](../Parser/pegen.c). A hook must behave
+exactly like the rule it accelerates, including which tokens it fills,
+because error reporting depends on the number of tokens read (``p->fill``).
+
 Automatic variables
 -------------------
 

Lib/test/test_peg_generator/test_c_generator.py

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class TestCGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
             @modulename 'sample'
             @bytecode '1'
             start[mod_ty]: expr_without_invalid 'pass' "zsoft" "asoft" ('bb' | 'aa')* ENDMARKER
-            expr_without_invalid[expr_ty] (memo): name=expr [NUMBER] { name }
+            expr_without_invalid[expr_ty] (memo, fastpath=custom_fastpath): name=expr [NUMBER] { name }
             expr[expr_ty]: expr '+' NAME | NAME
         """)
         generator.debug = True
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ class TestCGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
             rule.name = "changed"
             rule.type = "changed_type"
             rule.flags = frozenset()
+            rule.memo = False
+            rule.fastpath = None
             rule.rhs.alts[0].action = "changed_action"
             rule.rhs.alts.clear()
         generator.rules.clear()

Lib/test/test_peg_generator/test_c_parser.py

@@ -464,6 +464,47 @@ class TestCParser(unittest.TestCase):
         """
         self.run_test(grammar_source, test_source)
 
+    def test_rule_fastpath(self) -> None:
+        grammar_source = """
+        @subheader '''
+        #define CHECK_INVALID(expected) \\
+            (assert(p->call_invalid_rules == (expected)), _PyPegen_dummy_name(p))
+
+        static int
+        number_fastpath(Parser *p, void *result)
+        {
+            assert(p->call_invalid_rules == 0);
+            expr_ty number = _PyPegen_number_token(p);
+            if (number != NULL) {
+                *(void **)result = number;
+                return 1;
+            }
+            if (_PyPegen_expect_token(p, LPAR)) {
+                p->error_indicator = 1;
+                PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "fastpath error");
+            }
+            if (p->error_indicator) {
+                *(void **)result = NULL;
+                return 1;
+            }
+            return 0;
+        }
+        '''
+        start: enable value_without_invalid after NEWLINE ENDMARKER
+        enable: 'enable' { (p->call_invalid_rules = 1, _PyPegen_dummy_name(p)) }
+        value_without_invalid (memo, fastpath=number_fastpath): NAME { CHECK_INVALID(0) }
+        after: NAME { CHECK_INVALID(1) }
+        """
+        test_source = """
+        self.check_input_strings_for_grammar(
+            valid_cases=['enable 42 tail', 'enable name tail'],
+            invalid_cases=['enable + tail', 'enable 42'],
+        )
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, 'fastpath error'):
+            parse.parse_string('enable ( tail', mode=0)
+        """
+        self.run_test(grammar_source, test_source)
+
     def test_left_recursive_rule_cleanup(self) -> None:
         grammar_source = """
         @subheader '''

Lib/test/test_peg_generator/test_pegen.py

@@ -1181,32 +1181,53 @@ class TestGrammarVisualizer(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Test memo-only rule
         simple_rule = rules['simple_rule']
-        self.assertTrue('memo' in simple_rule.flags,
+        self.assertTrue(simple_rule.memo,
                         "simple_rule should have memo")
         self.assertEqual(simple_rule.flags, frozenset(['memo']),
                         f"simple_rule flags should be {'memo'}, got {simple_rule.flags}")
 
         # Test multi-flag rule
         multi_flag_rule = rules['multi_flag_rule']
-        self.assertTrue('memo' in simple_rule.flags,
+        self.assertTrue(multi_flag_rule.memo,
                         "multi_flag_rule should have memo")
         self.assertEqual(multi_flag_rule.flags, frozenset({'memo', 'custom', 'test'}),
                         f"multi_flag_rule flags should contain memo, custom, test, got {multi_flag_rule.flags}")
 
         # Test single custom flag rule
         single_custom_rule = rules['single_custom_flag']
-        self.assertFalse('memo' not in simple_rule.flags,
+        self.assertFalse(single_custom_rule.memo,
                          "single_custom_flag should not have memo")
         self.assertEqual(single_custom_rule.flags, frozenset(['custom']),
                         f"single_custom_flag flags should be {'custom'}, got {single_custom_rule.flags}")
 
         # Test no flags rule
         no_flags_rule = rules['no_flags_rule']
-        self.assertFalse('memo' not in simple_rule.flags,
+        self.assertFalse(no_flags_rule.memo,
                          "no_flags_rule should not have memo")
         self.assertEqual(no_flags_rule.flags, frozenset(),
                         f"no_flags_rule flags should be the empty set, got {no_flags_rule.flags}")
 
+        for rule in rules.values():
+            self.assertIsNone(rule.fastpath)
+
+    def test_rule_fastpath_flags(self) -> None:
+        for rule_type in ("", "[expr_ty]"):
+            for memo in (False, True):
+                with self.subTest(rule_type=rule_type, memo=memo):
+                    flags = "fastpath=custom_fastpath"
+                    if memo:
+                        flags = "memo, " + flags
+                    grammar_source = f"start{rule_type} ({flags}): NAME\n"
+                    rule = parse_string(grammar_source, GrammarParser).rules["start"]
+                    self.assertEqual(rule.fastpath, "custom_fastpath")
+                    self.assertIs(rule.memo, memo)
+
+    def test_rule_fastpath_requires_function(self) -> None:
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+            ValueError, "rule 'start': fastpath flag needs a function"
+        ):
+            parse_string("start (fastpath): NAME\n", GrammarParser)
+
 
 class TestGrammarIncludes(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self) -> None:

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-07-11-15-00-13.gh-issue-153568.atomfp.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Speed up parsing of simple expressions by recognizing single-token atoms
+without descending the full precedence rule chain.

Parser/parser.c

@@ -12299,6 +12299,10 @@ disjunction_rule(Parser *p)
         return NULL;
     }
     expr_ty _res = NULL;
+    if (_PyPegen_atom_fast_path(p, &_res)) {
+        p->level--;
+        return _res;
+    }
     if (_PyPegen_is_memoized(p, disjunction_type, &_res)) {
         p->level--;
         return _res;
@@ -12479,6 +12483,10 @@ inversion_rule(Parser *p)
         return NULL;
     }
     expr_ty _res = NULL;
+    if (_PyPegen_atom_fast_path(p, &_res)) {
+        p->level--;
+        return _res;
+    }
     if (_PyPegen_is_memoized(p, inversion_type, &_res)) {
         p->level--;
         return _res;

Parser/pegen.c

@@ -328,6 +328,50 @@ _resize_tokens_array(Parser *p) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+// Fast path attached to the expression precedence chain's entry rules.
+// A bare NAME/NUMBER atom followed by a token that cannot start or
+// continue a binary/postfix expression is a complete expression, so it is
+// built directly instead of descending the whole chain.
+//
+// Returns 1 if it produced a result (stored in *result), 0 to fall through to
+// the rule's alternatives.
+int
+_PyPegen_atom_fast_path(Parser *p, void *result)
+{
+    if (p->mark == p->fill && _PyPegen_fill_token(p) < 0) {
+        p->error_indicator = 1;
+        *(void **)result = NULL;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    Token *t = p->tokens[p->mark];
+    if (t->type != NAME && t->type != NUMBER) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (p->mark + 1 == p->fill && _PyPegen_fill_token(p) < 0) {
+        p->error_indicator = 1;
+        *(void **)result = NULL;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    switch (p->tokens[p->mark + 1]->type) {
+        case COMMA:
+        case RPAR:
+        case RSQB:
+        case RBRACE:
+        case COLON:
+        case NEWLINE:
+        case SEMI:
+        case EQUAL:
+        case ENDMARKER:
+            break;
+        default:
+            return 0;
+    }
+    expr_ty res = (t->type == NAME)
+        ? _PyPegen_name_token(p) : _PyPegen_number_token(p);
+    *(void **)result = res;
+    return 1;
+}
+
 int
 _PyPegen_fill_token(Parser *p)
 {

Parser/pegen.h

@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ Token *_PyPegen_get_last_nonnwhitespace_token(Parser *);
 int _PyPegen_fill_token(Parser *p);
 // Return -1 on failure, leaving the buffer and capacity unchanged.
 int _PyPegen_grow_loop_buffer(void ***buffer, Py_ssize_t *capacity);
+int _PyPegen_atom_fast_path(Parser *p, void *result);
 expr_ty _PyPegen_name_token(Parser *p);
 expr_ty _PyPegen_number_token(Parser *p);
 void *_PyPegen_string_token(Parser *p);

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/c_generator_calls.py

@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ class CCallLowerer:
             rule = original_rules.get(alt.items[0].item.value)
             if rule is None or rule.name not in consuming:
                 return None
-            if ("memo" in rule.flags and not rule.left_recursive) or (
+            if (rule.memo and not rule.left_recursive) or (
                 rule.left_recursive and rule.leader
             ):
                 return rule
@@ -426,7 +426,8 @@ class CCallLowerer:
             ),
             left_recursive=rule.left_recursive,
             leader=rule.leader,
-            memoize="memo" in rule.flags and not rule.left_recursive,
+            memoize=rule.memo and not rule.left_recursive,
+            fastpath=rule.fastpath,
             disable_invalid_rules=rule.name.endswith("without_invalid"),
             prefixes=self._prefixes.get(rule.name, ()),
             source=rule.source,

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/c_generator_model.py

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ class CRule:
     left_recursive: bool
     leader: bool
     memoize: bool
+    fastpath: str | None
     disable_invalid_rules: bool
     prefixes: tuple[CPrefix, ...] = ()
     source: pathlib.Path | None = None

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/c_generator_rules.py

@@ -176,6 +176,11 @@ class CRuleEmitter:
             self._emit_recursion_check()
             self._emit_error_check()
             self._print(f"{result_type} _res = NULL;")
+            if fastpath := self._rule.fastpath:
+                self._print(f"if ({fastpath}(p, &_res)) {{")
+                with self._indent():
+                    self._returns.emit("_res")
+                self._print("}")
             if memoize:
                 self._print(f"if (_PyPegen_is_memoized(p, {signature.name}_type, &_res)) {{")
                 with self._indent():

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/grammar.py

@@ -90,6 +90,17 @@ class Rule:
         self.type = type
         self.rhs = rhs
         self.flags = flags or frozenset()
+        self.memo = "memo" in self.flags
+        self.fastpath: str | None = None
+        for flag in self.flags:
+            name, _, function = flag.partition("=")
+            if name == "fastpath":
+                if not function:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"rule {self.name!r}: fastpath flag needs a function"
+                    )
+                self.fastpath = function
+                break
         self.kind = kind
         # The included grammar file that defines this rule, relative to the
         # root grammar file's directory, or None for the root grammar file itself.

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/grammar_parser.py

@@ -235,8 +235,17 @@ class GeneratedParser(Parser):
 
     @memoize
     def flag(self) -> Optional[str]:
-        # flag: NAME
+        # flag: NAME '=' NAME | NAME
         mark = self._mark()
+        if (
+            (a := self.name())
+            and
+            (literal := self.expect('='))
+            and
+            (b := self.name())
+        ):
+            return a . string + "=" + b . string
+        self._reset(mark)
         if (
             (name := self.name())
         ):

Tools/peg_generator/pegen/metagrammar.gram

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ flags[frozenset[str]]:
     | '(' a=','.flag+ ')' { frozenset(a) }
 
 flag[str]:
+    | a=NAME '=' b=NAME { a.string + "=" + b.string }
     | NAME { name.string }
 
 alts[Rhs]: