Chapter 1: Premature Optimization

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Premature optimization encompasses any optimization that is made before it is required. Even though most programmers have been told not to perform premature optimization, very few fully understand the meaning or implications of these words. The occurrences of premature optimizations span a wide range, from low-level design to source code. The reasons why these optimizations are performed too early also span a great range.

This issue is often a very controversial one, but more often programmers err on the side of premature optimization. We therefore concentrate on the techniques that allow a programmer to avoid making premature optimizations, but this does not eliminate the need for optimizations altogether. The key word is premature, avoiding optimizations before they are necessary. As was stressed in the Introduction, there are no silver bullets. Keep in mind your project’s particular performance requirements, or budget, and realize that there are some cases where design decisions in particular must be made at an earlier stage in the project. The emphasis is on ensuring that the optimizations are required at that stage, in which case they would not be premature. With this in mind, let us look at some of the symptoms that indicate that optimizations are being made prematurely.



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Preventative Programming Techniques. Avoid and Correct Common Mistakes
Preventative Programming Techniques: Avoid and Correct Common Mistakes (Charles River Media Programming)
ISBN: 1584502576
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 121
Authors: Brian Hawkins

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