Efficiency Guide
User's Guide
Version 10.7.2.19
User's Guide
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Chapters
Introduction
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Purpose
Prerequisites
The Seven Myths of Erlang Performance
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Myth: Tail-Recursive Functions are Much Faster Than Recursive Functions
Myth: Operator "++" is Always Bad
Myth: Strings are Slow
Myth: Repairing a Dets File is Very Slow
Myth: BEAM is a Stack-Based Byte-Code Virtual Machine (and Therefore Slow)
Myth: Use "_" to Speed Up Your Program When a Variable is Not Used
Myth: A NIF Always Speeds Up Your Program
Common Caveats
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Timer Module
list_to_atom/1
length/1
setelement/3
size/1
split_binary/2
Constructing and Matching Binaries
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How Binaries are Implemented
Constructing Binaries
Matching Binaries
Historical Note
List Handling
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Creating a List
List Comprehensions
Deep and Flat Lists
Recursive List Functions
Functions
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Pattern Matching
Function Calls
Memory Usage in Recursion
Tables and Databases
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Ets, Dets, and Mnesia
Ets-Specific
Mnesia-Specific
Processes
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Creating an Erlang Process
Process Messages
SMP Emulator
Drivers
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Drivers and Concurrency
Avoiding Copying Binaries When Calling a Driver
Returning Small Binaries from a Driver
Returning Large Binaries without Copying from a Driver
Advanced
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Memory
System Limits
Profiling
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Do Not Guess About Performance - Profile
Memory profiling
Large Systems
What to Look For
Tools
Benchmarking
Retired Myths
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Myth: Funs are Slow
Myth: List Comprehensions are Slow
Myth: List subtraction ("--" operator) is slow
Efficiency Guide User's Guide
Version 10.7.2.19
March 18, 2024