Optimizing Elixir's Datetime Serialization Using IOLists

The article chronicles an optimization journey for datetime serialization in Elixir, sparked by comparisons with Go. Initially, the author observed inefficiencies in using string concatenation within Elixir's Calendar module. After investigating, they introduced IOLists, a feature of BEAM, which allows for more efficient handling of strings without creating intermediate strings. The optimization process consisted of several steps: replacing string concatenation with IOLists, optimizing microsecond handling, improving zero padding, and employing improper lists. This journey resulted in significant performance improvements and reduced memory usage. The article also emphasizes the importance of using proper benchmarking tools for accurate performance measurements. Overall, it illustrates the potential for performance enhancement in Elixir by leveraging its underlying features.