A performance metric turns “make it faster” into a measurable target for application speed or resource efficiency. Establish a baseline before changing code, then compare each optimization against the target. section 12.3.2
Use performance metrics to keep optimization focused and worthwhile:
- Define which feature matters and how much faster it must become; a vague goal cannot guide an optimization effort. section 12.3.2
- Measure current performance before making changes, then profile iteratively to confirm whether improvements are incremental or substantial. section 1.3.3 section 12.3.2
- Concentrate effort on the small portion of code where the application spends most of its time, while weighing speed gains against added complexity. section 1.3.3 section 12.3.2
- Stop when the application meets its target and ship instead of spending time on marginal improvements. section 1.3.3 section 12.3.2
Comparing database performance
A MyBlog application can treat query performance as a decision point: compare how an SQLite design handles its relationships, then consider whether redundancy or another database approach would better serve retrieval speed and application needs. section 12.3.4
