Which is faster? ++, += or x + 1?

Question

I am using C# (This question is also valid for similar languages like C++) and I am trying to figure out the fastest and most efficient way to increment. It isn\'t just one

Answer 1

(Answer specific to C# as C++ may vary significantly.)

1 and 2 are equivalent.

3 would definitely be slower.

Having said that, doing this a mere 300 times a second, you wouldn't notice any difference. Are you aware of just how much a computer can do in terms of raw CPU+memory in a second? In general, you should write code for clarity as the most important thing. By all means worry about performance - but only when you have a way to measure it, in order to a) tell whether you need to worry, and b) whether any changes actually improve the performance.

In this case, I'd say that option 1 is the clearest, so that's what I'd use.