Should a developer aim for readability or performance first? [closed]

Solution 1:

You missed one.

First code for correctness, then for clarity (the two are often connected, of course!). Finally, and only if you have real empirical evidence that you actually need to, you can look at optimizing. Premature optimization really is evil. Optimization almost always costs you time, clarity, maintainability. You'd better be sure you're buying something worthwhile with that.

Note that good algorithms almost always beat localized tuning. There is no reason you can't have code that is correct, clear, and fast. You'll be unreasonably lucky to get there starting off focusing on `fast' though.

Solution 2:

IMO the obvious readable version first, until performance is measured and a faster version is required.

Solution 3:

Take it from Don Knuth

Premature optimization is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming.

Solution 4:

Readability 100%

If your compiler can't do the "x*2" => "x <<1" optimization for you -- get a new compiler!

Also remember that 99.9% of your program's time is spent waiting for user input, waiting for database queries and waiting for network responses. Unless you are doing the multiple 20 bajillion times, it's not going to be noticeable.