C performance optimization tips
Jul 14, 2025 am 01:47 AMThe key to C performance optimization is to understand language features, compiler behavior, and hardware interaction. 1. Use inline functions and const references reasonably, use inline only for small and frequently called functions, and use const & to avoid copy overhead of custom types. 2. Avoid unnecessary memory allocation, reduce the number of memory re-allocations in the container through reserve(), or reuse memory using a memory pool. 3. Design cache-friendly data structures, keep data compact, prioritize continuous memory storage, and consider structure splitting to improve cache hit rate. 4. Make full use of compiler optimization options, such as -O2/-O3, -march=native and -flto, but the volume and performance impact of the optimization level need to be weighed.
The key to C performance optimization is to understand the interaction of language features, compiler behavior, and underlying hardware. Many people only focus on whether the function is implemented when writing code, ignoring performance details. In fact, some small adjustments can bring significant improvements.

1. Use inline functions and const references reasonably
Inline functions ( inline
) can reduce the overhead of function calls, but not all functions are suitable for inline. Inline functions that are too large will increase the code size and affect the instruction cache efficiency. It is recommended to use inline
only for small, frequently called functions.

For parameter transfers, especially custom types, try to use const &
to avoid unnecessary copying. For example:
void process(const std::string& input); // Good practice
Instead:

void process(std::string input); // May cause copy overhead
This applies not only to function parameters, but also to cases where objects are frequently created in return values or loops.
2. Avoid unnecessary memory allocation and release
Frequent dynamic memory operations (such as new/delete
, malloc/free
) are performance killers. Especially for containers like std::vector
and std::string
, when changing the length frequently, reserve space ( reserve()
) should be considered to reduce the number of memory re-allocations.
for example:
std::vector<int> v; v.reserve(1000); // Allocate space in advance for (int i = 0; i < 1000; i) { v.push_back(i); }
This way, many fewer memory operations than not reserving space.
In addition, consider using object pools or custom memory pools to reuse memory, especially in high-frequency calls.
3. Pay attention to data structure layout and cache friendliness
CPU cache has a very big impact on performance. When designing data structures, try to make the accessed data "compact" and improve the cache hit rate.
- Put fields that are often used together.
- Try to use continuous memory storage (such as
std::vector
is better thanstd::list
). - Avoid excessive use of pointer jumps and reduce cache line miss.
For example, if you have a structure:
struct Data { int id; double value; bool active; };
When traversing a large number of Data
objects, if only id
and value
are accessed, the existence of active
may waste cache space. In this case, splitting the structure (SoA style) may be more efficient.
4. Compiler optimization options cannot be ignored
Modern C compilers (such as GCC, Clang, MSVC) have strong optimization capabilities. When developing, do not just use the default -O0
or -O1
. When online or performing performance tests, -O2
or -O3
should be turned on.
But also note:
-
-O3
sometimes increases the binary volume and even slows down in some scenarios. - Using
-march=native
can enable the compiler to make better optimizations for the current machine architecture. - Enabling
-flto
for link time optimization can also bring additional benefits.
Basically that's it. Some techniques may seem simple, but are easily overlooked in actual projects.
The above is the detailed content of C performance optimization tips. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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