Concat an integer to a String - use String literal or primitive from performance and memory point of view?

Question

Option 1:

String newStr = someStr + 3 + "]";

Option 2:

String newStr = someStr + "3" + "]";

Which option is better with regards to performance, memory and general practice? What are some recommended tools/ways I can use to measure memory usage of my code and its performance (besides measuring the start time and the end time and calculate the difference)

Answer 1

The first will become:

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder (String.valueOf (someStr));
sb.append (3);
sb.append ("]");
String newStr = sb.toString ();

the second will become:

StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder (String.valueOf (someStr));
sb.append ("3");
sb.append ("]");
String newStr = sb.toString ();

Here is disassembly:

public String foo (String someStr)
{
    String newStr = someStr + 3 + "]";
    return newStr;
}

public String bar (String someStr)
{
    String newStr = someStr + "3" + "]";
    return newStr;
}

public java.lang.String foo(java.lang.String);
Code:
   0: new           #16                 // class java/lang/StringBuilder
   3: dup
   4: aload_1
   5: invokestatic  #18                 // Method java/lang/String.valueOf:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/String;
   8: invokespecial #24                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder."<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;)V
  11: iconst_3
  12: invokevirtual #27                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(I)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
  15: ldc           #31                 // String ]
  17: invokevirtual #33                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
  20: invokevirtual #36                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.toString:()Ljava/lang/String;
  23: astore_2
  24: aload_2
  25: areturn

public java.lang.String bar(java.lang.String);
Code:
   0: new           #16                 // class java/lang/StringBuilder
   3: dup
   4: aload_1
   5: invokestatic  #18                 // Method java/lang/String.valueOf:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/String;
   8: invokespecial #24                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder."<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;)V
  11: ldc           #44                 // String 3
  13: invokevirtual #33                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
  16: ldc           #31                 // String ]
  18: invokevirtual #33                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
  21: invokevirtual #36                 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.toString:()Ljava/lang/String;
  24: astore_2
  25: aload_2
  26: areturn

Answer 2

There won't be any noticeable difference between both. Use what you find the most logical and readable. I would use

String newStr = someStr + "3]";

Answer 3

I would recommend Jprofiler as a great java application profiling tool that helped me find lots of memory problems.

I don't think option 1 and 2 have a big difference in terms of memory usage, especially if it is for a desktop application.