What\'s the Most Efficient Way to Concatenate Strings in Python?

Optimal String Concatenation in Python

Python strings are immutable, leading to the question of efficient string concatenation. Traditionally, it was recommended to utilize lists and the join() method for this purpose. However, advancements in Python have made this approach obsolete.

The optimal way to concatenate strings in Python is to use the or = operators. Benchmarking reveals that they are equally efficient and outperform the list-based approach. Even when concatenating large strings, and = remain faster.

Why the Previous Recommendation is Outdated

The rationale for using lists and join() was based on the perceived speed advantage of appending to a list compared to extending a string. While this may have been true in older versions of Python, it is no longer the case.

In Python 2.3 and earlier, string concatenation was indeed slower than list appending. However, this performance gap was eliminated in Python 2.4, making the recommendation to use append() and join() outdated since 2008.

When to Use the List Approach

While and = are generally preferred, the list-based approach can be useful in certain situations. For example, when concatenating elements that need to be separated by specific characters (e.g., spaces, commas), the list approach provides a convenient way to handle the formatting.

Conclusion

In Python, using the or = operators for string concatenation is the most efficient and readable approach. While the list-based method may be useful for specific formatting needs, it is generally not recommended for performance reasons.

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