Question

Am trying to create a well-optimised bit of code to create number of X-digits in length (where X is read from a runtime properties file), based on a DB-generated sequence number (Y), which is then used a folder-name when saving a file.

I’ve come up with three ideas so far, the fastest of which is the last one, but I’d appreciate any advice people may have on this…

1) Instantiate a StringBuilder with initial capacity X. Append Y. While length < X, insert a zero at pos zero.

2) Instantiate a StringBuilder with initial capacity X. While length < X, append a zero. Create a DecimalFormat based on StringBuilder value, and then format the number when it’s needed.

3) Create a new int of Math.pow( 10, X ) and add Y. Use String.valueOf() on the new number and then substring(1) it.

The second one can obviously be split into outside-loop and inside-loop sections.

So, any tips? Using a for-loop of 10,000 iterations, I’m getting similar timings from the first two, and the third method is approximately ten-times faster. Does this seem correct?

Full test-method code below…

    // Setup test variables
    int numDigits = 9;
    int testNumber = 724;
    int numIterations = 10000;
    String folderHolder = null;
    DecimalFormat outputFormat = new DecimalFormat( "#,##0" );

    // StringBuilder test
    long before = System.nanoTime();
    for ( int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++ )
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder( numDigits );
        sb.append( testNumber );
        while ( sb.length() < numDigits )
        {
            sb.insert( 0, 0 );
        }

        folderHolder = sb.toString();
    }
    long after = System.nanoTime();
    System.out.println( "01: " + outputFormat.format( after - before ) + " nanoseconds" );
    System.out.println( "Sanity check: Folder = \"" + folderHolder + "\"" );

    // DecimalFormat test
    before = System.nanoTime();
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder( numDigits );
    while ( sb.length() < numDigits )
    {
        sb.append( 0 );
    }
    DecimalFormat formatter = new DecimalFormat( sb.toString() );
    for ( int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++ )
    {
        folderHolder = formatter.format( testNumber );
    }
    after = System.nanoTime();
    System.out.println( "02: " + outputFormat.format( after - before ) + " nanoseconds" );
    System.out.println( "Sanity check: Folder = \"" + folderHolder + "\"" );

    // Substring test
    before = System.nanoTime();
    int baseNum = (int)Math.pow( 10, numDigits );
    for ( int i = 0; i < numIterations; i++ )
    {
        int newNum = baseNum + testNumber;
        folderHolder = String.valueOf( newNum ).substring( 1 );
    }
    after = System.nanoTime();
    System.out.println( "03: " + outputFormat.format( after - before ) + " nanoseconds" );
    System.out.println( "Sanity check: Folder = \"" + folderHolder + "\"" );

Answer 1

I would stop doing optimizations based on micro-benchmarks and go for something that looks elegant codewise, such as String.format("%0"+numDigits+"d", testNumber)