{"id":26289,"date":"2016-04-04T21:01:11","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T13:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=26289"},"modified":"2023-03-31T18:34:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T10:34:36","slug":"code-optimisation-why-you-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/code-optimisation-why-you-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Reasons Why You Need Code Optimization"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: <\/strong>This article is part of our Code Optimization series<\/a>, where we take a look at how to optimize coding for better efficiency in a bid to be better coders.<\/p>\n

While we write code, we continuously make decisions and choose between solutions that may seem equivalent at first. Later it usually turns out that some choices result in a more efficient program than others<\/strong>, so a quest for best coding practices and optimization techniques naturally arises, and we begin to see the whole development process as an optimization problem to solve<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although optimization problems<\/a> are not the only one developers regularly deal with, for instance there are decision problems<\/a> and searching problems<\/a> as well, optimization is the task that encompasses the different stages of web development probably the most.<\/p>\n

Code optimization can happen on different levels, depending on how close the optimization we carry out is to machine code. In web development we can only perform higher level optimizations<\/strong>, as Assembly- or runtime-level optimizations are not an option for us, but we still have many opportunities.<\/p>\n

We can optimize our code at the architectural level with smart design patterns<\/strong>, at the source code level by utilizing best coding practices and using appropriate tools, and we can also improve the performance of our team by introducing coding style guides into our workflow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Whatever technique we choose to go along with, there\u2019s a rule of thumb that every code optimization endeavour needs to follow: we always have to carry out the optimization in a way that doesn\u2019t change the meaning of the code<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The benefits of code optimization grow in line with the growth of our project, and as even initially small projects can become large with time,<\/strong> acquiring solid code optimization skills almost always have measurable positive results.<\/p>\n

1. Cleaner Code Base<\/h2>\n

As a project matures, and more and more developers start to work on it<\/strong>, duplications and overlaps usually sooner or later appear, and suddenly we realize we hardly comprehend what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

\"clean<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not a coincidence that keeping the DRY (Don\u2019t Repeat Yourself)<\/a> principle in mind is one of the cornerstones of effective software development. A well-strutured, carefully optimized code base in which we are able to reuse the same elements multiple times<\/strong> is always sleeker and tidier, and therefore is much easier to understand and work with.<\/p>\n

2. Higher Consistency<\/h2>\n

Consistency is like housework, when it\u2019s properly taken care of no one notices it, but when it\u2019s neglected the whole place looks messy, and we find ourselves in chaos.<\/p>\n

Accomplishing complete consistency is hard, as ensuring backward compatibility can eventually get in the way of improvement<\/strong>, but paying attention to using coherent code guidelines, compatible APIs, and consistent standards<\/strong> can surely lessen the pain.<\/p>\n

Keeping code consistency in mind is especially important when we need to deal with legacy code<\/strong>, or in cases of larger projects that involve many developers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3. Faster Sites<\/h2>\n

Optimizing code is similar to buying a faster car. As a result, our code executes more rapidly<\/strong>, and our site or application consumes less memory<\/strong> than before. Although the optimization process may require additional time and money<\/strong>, the result is a better experience<\/strong>, not just for developers but also for end users.<\/p>\n

\"faster<\/figure>\n

Faster code entails shorter page load times<\/strong> as well, which is a big deal in both of the worlds of search engine optimization and conversion marketing<\/a>. Research<\/a> says that \u201cnearly half of web users expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less, and they tend to abandon a site that isn\u2019t loaded within 3 seconds\u201d, so speed is clearly not an area that we can safely ignore.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tEffective Web Optimization Tips and Best Practices for Beginners<\/span><\/a>\n
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