Writing efficient image-scanning loops

In the previous recipes of this chapter, we presented different ways of scanning an image in order to process its pixels. In this recipe, we will compare the efficiency of these different approaches.

When you write an image-processing function, efficiency is often a concern. When you design your function, you will frequently need to check the computational efficiency of your code in order to detect any bottleneck in your processing that might slow down your program.

However, it is important to note that, unless necessary, optimization should not be undertaken at the cost of reducing the program clarity. Simple code is indeed always easier to debug and maintain. Only code portions that are critical to a program's efficiency should be heavily optimized.