出于性能考虑，不鼓励使用+=(字符串连接)。原因是:Java String是一个不可变的，每当一个新的连接完成时，一个新的String就会被创建(新的String与已经在String池中的旧String具有不同的指纹)。创建新的字符串会给GC带来压力，并降低程序的运行速度:创建对象的开销很大。

下面的代码将使其更加实用和清晰。

public static void main(String[] args) 
{
    // warming up
    for(int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
        RandomStringUtils.randomAlphanumeric(1024);
    final StringBuilder appender = new StringBuilder();
    for(int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
        appender.append(RandomStringUtils.randomAlphanumeric(i));

    // testing
    for(int i = 1; i <= 10000; i*=10)
        test(i);
}

public static void test(final int howMany) 
{
    List<String> samples = new ArrayList<>(howMany);
    for(int i = 0; i < howMany; i++)
        samples.add(RandomStringUtils.randomAlphabetic(128));

    final StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
    long start = System.nanoTime();
    for(String sample: samples)
        builder.append(sample);
    builder.toString();
    long elapsed = System.nanoTime() - start;
    System.out.printf("builder - %d - elapsed: %dus\n", howMany, elapsed / 1000);

    String accumulator = "";
    start = System.nanoTime();
    for(String sample: samples)
        accumulator += sample;
    elapsed = System.nanoTime() - start;
    System.out.printf("concatenation - %d - elapsed: %dus\n", howMany, elapsed / (int) 1e3);

    start = System.nanoTime();
    String newOne = null;
    for(String sample: samples)
        newOne = new String(sample);
    elapsed = System.nanoTime() - start;
    System.out.printf("creation - %d - elapsed: %dus\n\n", howMany, elapsed / 1000);
}

下面报告了运行的结果。

builder - 1 - elapsed: 132us
concatenation - 1 - elapsed: 4us
creation - 1 - elapsed: 5us

builder - 10 - elapsed: 9us
concatenation - 10 - elapsed: 26us
creation - 10 - elapsed: 5us

builder - 100 - elapsed: 77us
concatenation - 100 - elapsed: 1669us
creation - 100 - elapsed: 43us

builder - 1000 - elapsed: 511us
concatenation - 1000 - elapsed: 111504us
creation - 1000 - elapsed: 282us

builder - 10000 - elapsed: 3364us 
concatenation - 10000 - elapsed: 5709793us
creation - 10000 - elapsed: 972us

不考虑1个连接的结果(JIT还没有完成它的工作)，即使对于10个连接，性能惩罚也是相关的;对于成千上万的连接，差异是巨大的。

从这个非常快速的实验中得到的教训(很容易用上面的代码重现):永远不要使用+=将字符串连接在一起，即使是在需要一些连接的非常基本的情况下(正如前面所说，创建新字符串无论如何都是昂贵的，并且会给GC带来压力)。

在Java 9中，版本1应该更快，因为它被转换为invokedynamic调用。更多细节可以在JEP-280中找到:

其思想是用对java.lang.invoke的简单invokedynamic调用替换整个StringBuilder追加舞蹈。StringConcatFactory，它将接受需要连接的值。

我认为我们应该使用StringBuilder附加方法。 原因是:

String连接每次都会创建一个新的String对象(因为String是不可变对象)，所以它将创建3个对象。 使用String生成器只会创建一个对象[StringBuilder is mutable]，并且进一步的字符串被追加到它。

关键在于你是在一个地方写一个连接，还是在一段时间内把它积累起来。

对于您给出的示例，显式使用StringBuilder是没有意义的。(请查看第一个案例的编译代码。)

但是如果你正在构建一个字符串，例如在一个循环中，使用StringBuilder。

为了澄清，假设hugeArray包含数千个字符串，代码如下:

...
String result = "";
for (String s : hugeArray) {
    result = result + s;
}

与以下相比非常浪费时间和内存:

...
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
for (String s : hugeArray) {
    sb.append(s);
}
String result = sb.toString();

这取决于字符串的大小。

请看下面的例子:

static final int MAX_ITERATIONS = 50000;
static final int CALC_AVG_EVERY = 10000;

public static void main(String[] args) {
    printBytecodeVersion();
    printJavaVersion();
    case1();//str.concat
    case2();//+=
    case3();//StringBuilder
}

static void case1() {
    System.out.println("[str1.concat(str2)]");
    List<Long> savedTimes = new ArrayList();
    long startTimeAll = System.currentTimeMillis();
    String str = "";
    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_ITERATIONS; i++) {
        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
        str = str.concat(UUID.randomUUID() + "---");
        saveTime(savedTimes, startTime);
    }
    System.out.println("Created string of length:" + str.length() + " in " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTimeAll) + " ms");
}

static void case2() {
    System.out.println("[str1+=str2]");
    List<Long> savedTimes = new ArrayList();
    long startTimeAll = System.currentTimeMillis();
    String str = "";
    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_ITERATIONS; i++) {
        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
        str += UUID.randomUUID() + "---";
        saveTime(savedTimes, startTime);
    }
    System.out.println("Created string of length:" + str.length() + " in " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTimeAll) + " ms");
}

static void case3() {
    System.out.println("[str1.append(str2)]");
    List<Long> savedTimes = new ArrayList();
    long startTimeAll = System.currentTimeMillis();
    StringBuilder str = new StringBuilder("");
    for (int i = 0; i < MAX_ITERATIONS; i++) {
        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
        str.append(UUID.randomUUID() + "---");
        saveTime(savedTimes, startTime);
    }
    System.out.println("Created string of length:" + str.length() + " in " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTimeAll) + " ms");

}

static void saveTime(List<Long> executionTimes, long startTime) {
    executionTimes.add(System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime);
    if (executionTimes.size() % CALC_AVG_EVERY == 0) {
        out.println("average time for " + executionTimes.size() + " concatenations: "
                + NumberFormat.getInstance().format(executionTimes.stream().mapToLong(Long::longValue).average().orElseGet(() -> 0))
                + " ms avg");
        executionTimes.clear();
    }
}

输出:

java bytecode version:8 java.version: 1.8.0_144 [str1.concat(str2)] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.096 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.185 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.327 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.501 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.656 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 17745 ms [str1+=str2] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.21 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.652 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 1.129 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 1.727 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 2.302 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 60279 ms [str1.append(str2)] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.002 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.002 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.002 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.002 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.002 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 100 ms

随着字符串长度的增加，+=和.concat的连接时间也会增加，后者效率更高，但仍然是非常量 这就是绝对需要StringBuilder的地方。

附注:我不认为什么时候在Java中使用StringBuilder是一个真正的复制。 这个问题讨论的是toString()，它在大多数情况下不会执行大字符串的连接。

2019年更新

自java8时代以来，情况发生了一些变化。现在看来(java13)， +=的连接时间实际上与str.concat()相同。但是StringBuilder的连接时间仍然是固定的。(上面的原始帖子略有编辑，添加了更多详细的输出)

java bytecode version:13 java.version: 13.0.1 [str1.concat(str2)] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.047 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.1 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.17 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.255 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.336 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 9147 ms [str1+=str2] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.037 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.097 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.249 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.298 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.326 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 10191 ms [str1.append(str2)] average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.001 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.001 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.001 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.001 ms avg average time for 10000 concatenations: 0.001 ms avg Created string of length:1950000 in 43 ms

值得注意的还有bytecode:8/java。与bytecode:8/java.version:8相比，Version:13组合具有良好的性能优势

我也和我的老板在使用append还是+的问题上发生了冲突。因为他们正在使用追加(我仍然不能弄清楚，因为他们说每次创建一个新对象)。 所以我想做些研究。虽然我喜欢Michael Borgwardt的解释，但只是想展示一个解释，如果将来有人真的需要知道的话。

/**
 *
 * @author Perilbrain
 */
public class Appc {
    public Appc() {
        String x = "no name";
        x += "I have Added a name" + "We May need few more names" + Appc.this;
        x.concat(x);
        // x+=x.toString(); --It creates new StringBuilder object before concatenation so avoid if possible
        //System.out.println(x);
    }

    public void Sb() {
        StringBuilder sbb = new StringBuilder("no name");
        sbb.append("I have Added a name");
        sbb.append("We May need few more names");
        sbb.append(Appc.this);
        sbb.append(sbb.toString());
        // System.out.println(sbb.toString());
    }
}

而上述类的拆卸出来为

 .method public <init>()V //public Appc()
  .limit stack 2
  .limit locals 2
met001_begin:                                  ; DATA XREF: met001_slot000i
  .line 12
    aload_0 ; met001_slot000
    invokespecial java/lang/Object.<init>()V
  .line 13
    ldc "no name"
    astore_1 ; met001_slot001
  .line 14

met001_7:                                      ; DATA XREF: met001_slot001i
    new java/lang/StringBuilder //1st object of SB
    dup
    invokespecial java/lang/StringBuilder.<init>()V
    aload_1 ; met001_slot001
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    ldc "I have Added a nameWe May need few more names"
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    aload_0 ; met001_slot000
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.toString()Ljava/lang/String;
    astore_1 ; met001_slot001
  .line 15
    aload_1 ; met001_slot001
    aload_1 ; met001_slot001
    invokevirtual java/lang/String.concat(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/Strin\
g;
    pop
  .line 18
    return //no more SB created
met001_end:                                    ; DATA XREF: met001_slot000i ...

; ===========================================================================

;met001_slot000                                ; DATA XREF: <init>r ...
    .var 0 is this LAppc; from met001_begin to met001_end
;met001_slot001                                ; DATA XREF: <init>+6w ...
    .var 1 is x Ljava/lang/String; from met001_7 to met001_end
  .end method
;44-1=44
; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


; Segment type: Pure code
  .method public Sb()V //public void Sb
  .limit stack 3
  .limit locals 2
met002_begin:                                  ; DATA XREF: met002_slot000i
  .line 21
    new java/lang/StringBuilder
    dup
    ldc "no name"
    invokespecial java/lang/StringBuilder.<init>(Ljava/lang/String;)V
    astore_1 ; met002_slot001
  .line 22

met002_10:                                     ; DATA XREF: met002_slot001i
    aload_1 ; met002_slot001
    ldc "I have Added a name"
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    pop
  .line 23
    aload_1 ; met002_slot001
    ldc "We May need few more names"
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    pop
  .line 24
    aload_1 ; met002_slot001
    aload_0 ; met002_slot000
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    pop
  .line 25
    aload_1 ; met002_slot001
    aload_1 ; met002_slot001
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.toString()Ljava/lang/String;
    invokevirtual java/lang/StringBuilder.append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lan\
g/StringBuilder;
    pop
  .line 28
    return
met002_end:                                    ; DATA XREF: met002_slot000i ...


;met002_slot000                                ; DATA XREF: Sb+25r
    .var 0 is this LAppc; from met002_begin to met002_end
;met002_slot001                                ; DATA XREF: Sb+9w ...
    .var 1 is sbb Ljava/lang/StringBuilder; from met002_10 to met002_end
  .end method
;96-49=48
; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

从上面的两个代码你可以看出Michael是对的。每种情况下只创建一个SB对象。