String.Replace() vs. StringBuilder.Replace()

Question

I have a string in which I need to replace markers with values from a dictionary. It has to be as efficient as possible. Doing a loop with a string.replace is just going to consume memory (strings are immutable, remember). Would StringBuilder.Replace() be any better since this is was designed to work with string manipulations?

I was hoping to avoid the expense of RegEx, but if that is going to be a more efficient then so be it.

Note: I don't care about code complexity, only how fast it runs and the memory it consumes.

Average stats: 255-1024 characters in length, 15-30 keys in the dictionary.

Answer 1

Using RedGate Profiler using the following code

class Program
    {
        static string data = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
        static Dictionary<string, string> values;

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Data length: " + data.Length);
            values = new Dictionary<string, string>()
            {
                { "ab", "aa" },
                { "jk", "jj" },
                { "lm", "ll" },
                { "yz", "zz" },
                { "ef", "ff" },
                { "st", "uu" },
                { "op", "pp" },
                { "x", "y" }
            };

            StringReplace(data);
            StringBuilderReplace1(data);
            StringBuilderReplace2(new StringBuilder(data, data.Length * 2));

            Console.ReadKey();
        }

        private static void StringReplace(string data)
        {
            foreach(string k in values.Keys)
            {
                data = data.Replace(k, values[k]);
            }
        }

        private static void StringBuilderReplace1(string data)
        {
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(data, data.Length * 2);
            foreach (string k in values.Keys)
            {
                sb.Replace(k, values[k]);
            }
        }

        private static void StringBuilderReplace2(StringBuilder data)
        {
            foreach (string k in values.Keys)
            {
                data.Replace(k, values[k]);
            }
        }
    }

• String.Replace = 5.843ms
• StringBuilder.Replace #1 = 4.059ms
• Stringbuilder.Replace #2 = 0.461ms

String length = 1456

stringbuilder #1 creates the stringbuilder in the method while #2 does not so the performance difference will end up being the same most likely since you're just moving that work out of the method. If you start with a stringbuilder instead of a string then #2 might be the way to go instead.

As far as memory, using RedGateMemory profiler, there is nothing to worry about until you get into MANY replace operations in which stringbuilder is going to win overall.