Converting values to strings by concatenating them with empty strings is an inefficient and unclear practice.
When you write '' + someValue, the Apex runtime must:
- Create a temporary string object for the empty string
- Convert
someValue to its string representation
- Concatenate these two strings
- Return the result
This process involves unnecessary object creation and string manipulation overhead.
Using explicit toString() methods is more efficient because:
- It directly converts the value to a string without intermediate steps
- The intent is clearer to other developers reading your code
- It follows Apex best practices for type conversion
The performance difference becomes more noticeable when this pattern is used frequently, such as in loops or bulk operations common in Salesforce
development.
What is the potential impact?
This issue impacts code performance and maintainability:
- Performance degradation: Unnecessary object creation and string operations can slow down your code, especially in bulk
operations
- Reduced readability: The intent to convert a value to string is less clear when using concatenation
- Maintenance overhead: Code reviewers and future developers may not immediately understand the purpose of empty string
concatenation
