C++ Optimization in C++ Introduction to performance
Example
C and C++ are well known as high-performance languages - largely due to the heavy amount of code customization, allowing a user to specify performance by choice of structure.
When optimizing it is important to benchmark relevant code and completely understand how the code will be used.
Common optimization mistakes include:
- Premature optimization: Complex code may perform worse after optimization, wasting time and effort. First priority should be to write correct and maintainable code, rather than optimized code.
- Optimization for the wrong use case: Adding overhead for the 1% might not be worth the slowdown for the other 99%
- Micro-optimization: Compilers do this very efficiently and micro-optimization can even hurt the compilers ability to further optimize the code
Typical optimization goals are:
- To do less work
- To use more efficient algorithms/structures
- To make better use of hardware
Optimized code can have negative side effects, including:
- Higher memory usage
- Complex code -being difficult to read or maintain
- Compromised API and code design
