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"Premature optimization is the root of all evil" -- Donald Knuth
Return to Donald Knuth, The Art of Computer Programming
TLDR: The phrase “premature optimization is the root of all evil” was popularized by Donald Knuth in 1974, emphasizing the dangers of optimizing code too early in the development process. It suggests that developers should prioritize clarity, correctness, and maintainability over performance improvements unless they are addressing critical bottlenecks. Premature optimization can lead to convoluted code and wasted effort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_optimization
The phrase underscores the importance of writing straightforward and functional code before considering optimization. In many cases, optimizing sections of code that are not performance-critical can obscure readability and introduce bugs. Knuth argued that developers should focus on optimizing only the “critical 3%” of the codebase, where performance improvements have the most significant impact.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth
Modern development practices embrace this principle by incorporating tools for profiling and benchmarking to identify true performance bottlenecks. For example, using a profiler in Java or Python helps pinpoint resource-intensive functions, allowing targeted optimization efforts. This ensures that developers spend time on meaningful improvements rather than speculative ones.
The principle also aligns with agile methodologies, which prioritize delivering functional and maintainable code over premature performance tuning. By focusing on optimization during later stages, when the codebase and use cases are well understood, developers can create efficient systems without sacrificing maintainability or introducing unnecessary complexity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development
- Snippet from Wikipedia: Program optimization
In computer science, program optimization, code optimization, or software optimization is the process of modifying a software system to make some aspect of it work more efficiently or use fewer resources. In general, a computer program may be optimized so that it executes more rapidly, or to make it capable of operating with less memory storage or other resources, or draw less power.
Also called: program optimization, code optimization, or software optimization
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