Trivial performance questions

[Peter Hansen]

Alex Martelli wrote:
> 
> I would (more hesitantly) claim the same for ''.join vs += in putting
> "a few" strings together.  If they're really just a few performance
> will not matter.  But as soon as they're not so few it does suddenly
> matter A LOT.  So, even though the effort may not be trivial in this
> case, I still think of this as "a good habit to pick up" to the point
> where it becomes automatic... but it's not _quite_ as clear-cut.

Agreed that it's not as clear-cut, the more so because the construct
is inherently less readable.  (More line noise, so to speak.)  There
are times when I'll consciously choose += for a couple of lines
(yes, where I subconsciously know performance won't matter) to ensure
readability of the code.

Nevertheless, your (snipped) point is valid, and I have certainly
tried to develop both the "is None" and the "''.join" habits for
my own work.

-Peter