Writing highly optimized but not so readable code versus very readable but not as optimized code involves trade-offs, and the decision depends on the specific context and requirements of the project. Let’s explore the costs and benefits of each approach:

Highly Optimized but Not So Readable Code:
Benefits:

1. Performance: Highly optimized code can execute faster and use fewer system resources, leading to better performance, especially in resource-intensive applications or large-scale systems.
2. Efficiency: Optimized code can reduce processing time and improve overall system responsiveness, which is crucial for real-time or critical applications.
3. Resource Consumption: Optimized code can reduce memory usage and minimize the hardware requirements, making it suitable for resource-constrained environments.
4. Competitive Advantage: In certain fields like gaming, high-performance computing, or algorithmic trading, optimized code can give a competitive edge by enabling faster execution and better utilization of available resources.

Costs:

1. Maintainability: Highly optimized code can be harder to understand and maintain, making it challenging for other developers to work on or modify in the future.
2. Readability: Lack of readability can lead to bugs and errors that are difficult to identify and fix.
3. Development Time: Writing highly optimized code often requires more time and effort, potentially delaying project completion.

Very Readable but Not as Optimized Code:
Benefits:

1. Maintainability: Readable code is easier for developers to understand, modify, and maintain, reducing the likelihood of introducing bugs during the development process.
2. Collaboration: Readable code promotes better collaboration among team members as everyone can comprehend and contribute to the codebase effectively.
3. Code Reviews: Readable code is more amenable to code reviews, leading to better quality assurance.
4. Code Reuse: Readable code is more likely to be reusable in other projects or modules, saving development time in the future.

Costs:

1. Performance: Less optimized code may be slower and less efficient, impacting the application’s overall performance, especially in resource-intensive scenarios.
2. Resource Consumption: Less optimized code might use more memory and hardware resources, potentially causing scalability issues in large-scale applications.
3. Competitiveness: In certain domains where performance is critical, less optimized code might put a project at a disadvantage compared to competitors with highly optimized solutions.

The decision between these approaches should be based on the project’s specific requirements, the importance of performance, the target audience, the scale of the application, and the team’s expertise. In many cases, a balance between optimization and readability is preferred, as it allows for maintainability while still achieving acceptable performance. Developers can focus on readability during the initial development phase and then identify specific areas where optimization is necessary for critical sections of the codebase. Additionally, using proper documentation and code comments can improve understanding and maintainability even in optimized codebases.