serialization_timings.py

from __future__ import print_function
import marshal
import struct
import time
import six

header = b'clog'

def struct_serialize(stream, line):

    if isinstance(stream, six.text_type):
        stream = stream.encode('UTF-8')
    if isinstance(line, six.text_type):
        line = line.encode('UTF-8')

    sizes = (len(stream), len(line))
    return header + struct.pack('ii', *sizes) + stream + line

def struct_parse(data):
    if data[:4] == header:
        sizes = struct.unpack('ii', data[4:12])
        return (data[12:12+sizes[0]], data[12+sizes[0]:])


def marshal_serialize(stream, line):
    return header + marshal.dumps((stream, line))

def marshal_parse(data):
    if data[:4] == header:
        return marshal.loads(data[4:])

if __name__ == "__main__":
    iters = 100000
    stream = 'stream' * 10
    line = 'line' * 1000

    start = time.time()
    for _ in range(iters):
        data = struct_serialize(stream, line)
        struct_size = len(data)
        res = struct_parse(data)
    tot = time.time() - start
    print ("Struct - Total: {} Avg: {} (size: {})".format(tot, tot/iters, struct_size))

    start = time.time()
    for _ in range(iters):
        data = marshal_serialize(stream, line)
        marshal_size = len(data)
        res = marshal_parse(data)
    tot = time.time() - start
    print ("Marshal - Total: {} Avg: {} (size: {})".format(tot, tot/iters, marshal_size))

Timings:
Py27

Struct - Total: 0.396899938583 Avg: 3.96899938583e-06 (size: 4072)
Marshal - Total: 1.29385685921 Avg: 1.29385685921e-05 (size: 4079)

Py34

Struct - Total: 0.4712557792663574 Avg: 4.712557792663574e-06 (size: 4072)
Marshal - Total: 1.4795539379119873 Avg: 1.4795539379119873e-05 (size: 4073)

Py35

Struct - Total: 0.4781956672668457 Avg: 4.781956672668457e-06 (size: 4072)
Marshal - Total: 0.5167973041534424 Avg: 5.167973041534424e-06 (size: 4073)

Py36

Struct - Total: 0.5680632591247559 Avg: 5.6806325912475585e-06 (size: 4072)
Marshal - Total: 0.564603328704834 Avg: 5.64603328704834e-06 (size: 4073)