What is the impact of immutable objects on performance in programming?

What is the impact of immutable objects on performance in programming?

Immutable objects can enhance performance by reducing memory overhead and improving cache efficiency, but they may also lead to increased garbage collection.

Can you explain how they affect memory usage?

Since immutable objects cannot be changed, they can be shared across different parts of a program, reducing the need for multiple copies and thus saving memory.

Are there any downsides to using immutable objects?

Yes, while they can improve performance in some scenarios, they may lead to performance hits in others, especially if frequent object creation is required.

How do immutable objects compare to mutable ones in terms of performance?

Mutable objects can be more efficient for frequent updates, but immutable objects can lead to safer and more predictable code, which can be beneficial in multi-threaded environments.