perf

name	perf
dimension	evaluation_and_reward
description	Performance optimizer for loops, DB queries, rendering, and batch operations. Catches N+1 queries, missing indexes, and unnecessary re-renders.

Perf — Performance Review

Process

1. Identify performance-sensitive code paths from the diff (loops, queries, rendering, batch ops)
2. Run the Checklist below, marking each item as pass, fail, or N/A with reason
3. For each failure, cite the file and line number with a one-line fix hint
4. Report findings using the Evidence Required section

When to Trigger

• Database queries inside loops
• Large data set processing
• Rendering or UI update logic
• API endpoint that could receive high traffic
• File I/O in hot paths

Checklist

Database

• No N+1 queries (use JOIN, eager loading, or batch) — N+1 queries cause latency to scale linearly with row count, turning a 1ms query into seconds under load.
• Indexes exist for frequently queried columns — without indexes, the database performs full table scans, collapsing read throughput.
• Pagination for large result sets — fetching all rows at once exhausts memory and increases response time for every consumer.
• Connection pooling configured — opening a new connection per request adds network round-trip overhead and can exhaust database connection limits.

Memory

• No unbounded arrays or caches growing indefinitely — unbounded growth causes gradual memory exhaustion and eventual OOM kills with no warning.
• Event listeners properly removed / unsubscribed — leaked listeners hold references to their context, preventing garbage collection of entire object graphs.
• Large objects released after use — holding references to large payloads keeps them in the heap, increasing GC pressure and pause times.
• Streams used for large file processing (not loading entire file) — loading a multi-GB file into RAM blocks other allocations and risks crashing the process.

Computation

• Expensive calculations memoized where appropriate — recomputing pure results on every call wastes CPU cycles that compound in hot paths.
• No redundant re-renders (React: useMemo, useCallback) — unnecessary re-renders cascade through the component tree, causing layout thrash and dropped frames.
• Async operations don't block the main thread — blocking the main thread stalls all concurrent requests, degrading throughput for every user.
• Debounce/throttle on frequent events (scroll, input) — unthrottled handlers fire hundreds of times per second, overwhelming the event loop.

Network

• Responses compressed (gzip/brotli) — uncompressed JSON/HTML can be 5-10x larger, wasting bandwidth and increasing time-to-first-byte.
• Static assets cached with proper headers — missing cache headers force the browser to re-download unchanged assets on every page load.
• No unnecessary API calls (cache, dedupe) — duplicate requests waste server resources and increase latency for legitimate traffic.

See references/performance.md for the full checklist.

Anti-Rationalization

Excuse	Rebuttal	What to do instead
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil"	Knuth said "about 97% of the time" — the other 3% matters. N+1 queries are never premature.	Check for N+1 queries and missing indexes before merging.
"It works fine on my machine"	Your machine is not production. Profile under realistic conditions.	Run the perf checklist against realistic data volumes.
"We can optimize later"	Performance debt is invisible until it's catastrophic. Measure now.	Add a benchmark or load test for the critical path today.

Evidence Required

Before claiming performance review is complete, show ALL applicable:

• No N+1 queries: show the query plan or eager-loading code
• Pagination present: show limit/offset or cursor implementation
• No unbounded collections: show size caps or streaming for large data
• Async I/O in request paths: show await or stream usage (no sync fs/net)

"Looks fine" is not a review. Show the query or the code path.

Red Flags

• Loading all records when only count is needed
• Synchronous file I/O in request handlers
• Missing pagination on list endpoints