How does string concatenation performance vary in Python?

How does string concatenation performance vary in Python?

In Python, string concatenation performance can vary significantly based on the method used. For example, using the '+' operator is straightforward but can be inefficient for large strings due to the creation of intermediate copies.

What are the different methods for string concatenation in Python?

The main methods include using the '+' operator, the join() method, and formatted strings (f-strings). The join() method is generally more efficient for concatenating multiple strings.

Can you show me a performance comparison between these methods?

Sure! For small strings, the difference might be negligible, but for larger strings or many concatenations, using join() can be significantly faster. Would you like to see some code examples?

Yes, please provide some code examples for each method.

Here's a simple comparison:

import time

# Using + operator
start = time.time()
result = ''
for s in ['Hello', ' ', 'World!']:
    result += s
print('Time with +:', time.time() - start)

# Using join()
start = time.time()
result = ''.join(['Hello', ' ', 'World!'])
print('Time with join():', time.time() - start)