Variable packing minimises memory usage by grouping multiple data items into a single structure. This technique is critical in scenarios where memory access times significantly impact performance, such as in large-scale data processing. When related data is packed together, it allows for more efficient use of CPU cache, leading to faster data retrieval.

Example:

1import struct
2
3packed_data = struct.pack('ii', 10, 20)
4
5a, b = struct.unpack('ii', packed_data)

In this example, using the struct module packs integers into a compact binary format, making data processing more efficient.

References