zerooverhead

Zerooverhead is a design principle in computing that emphasizes providing high-level abstractions without incurring runtime cost beyond what hand-written low-level code would require. It aims to let developers write expressive, safe code while the compiled program executes as efficiently as possible.

Achieving zero overhead relies on compiler optimizations and language features that permit abstraction elimination. Techniques include inlining of small functions, specialization or monomorphization of generic code, elimination of virtual dispatch, and careful memory management analyses such as escape analysis. When abstractions map directly to simple machine instructions, there is little or no extra work at runtime.

Commonly cited in systems programming languages and libraries, such as Rust, C++, and D, zerooverhead abstractions allow features like iterators, generics, and functional style constructs to compile to code that is equivalent to hand-rolled loops. This philosophy also shapes API design, favoring simple, composition-friendly interfaces whose users pay only the cost they would incur without the abstraction.

Limitations: zerooverhead is a goal rather than a guaranteed outcome. In practice, achieving true zero cost may involve trade-offs such as increased compile times, larger binary size, or subtle performance changes under certain conditions. Some abstractions inherently introduce costs due to dynamic behavior, memory management, or platform constraints, and optimizations can be bounded by conservatism or safety requirements.

The term is sometimes used interchangeably with zero-cost abstractions. Critics note that developers should not assume all abstractions are cost-free; profiling and careful design are still necessary to ensure performance targets.