Simple Android program to test performance gain when inflating temporary view programmatically or setting it to GONE and modify to VISIBLE when needed. Used for a blog article http://magicmicky.github.io/android_development/benchmark-using-traceview/

activity_test.xml

<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:id="@+id/container"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    tools:context=".HomeActivity"
    tools:ignore="MergeRootFrame" />

fragment_test_gone.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">
    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/F_frame_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/triple_row"
        android:scrollbars="none"
        android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
        android:paddingBottom="@dimen/default_padding"
        android:fillViewport="true"/>
    <RelativeLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:id="@+id/RL_inner_view"
        android:visibility="gone"
        android:padding="@dimen/default_padding">
        <ImageView
            android:id="@+id/IMG_image"
            android:layout_width="@dimen/double_row"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/triple_row"
            android:scaleType="centerCrop"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher"/>
        <TextView
            android:id="@+id/TV_text"
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:paddingBottom="@dimen/default_padding"
            android:text="@string/hello_world"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/IMG_image"
            />
        <View
            android:id="@+id/V_separator"
            android:layout_below="@id/TV_text"
            android:layout_toRightOf="@id/IMG_image"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="@dimen/separator_height"
            android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/default_padding"
            android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/default_padding"
            android:background="@color/separator"/>
        <Button
            android:layout_width="wrap_content"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_below="@id/V_separator"
            android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
            android:paddingRight="@dimen/double_padding"
            android:text="@string/ok"
            android:padding="0dp"/>
    </RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>

fragment_test_prgmcly.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">
    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/F_frame_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/triple_row"
        android:scrollbars="none"
        android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
        android:paddingBottom="@dimen/default_padding"
        android:fillViewport="true"/>
</LinearLayout>

InflationPerformanceTestActivity.java

package com.magicmicky.testperfviews;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.graphics.LinearGradient;
import android.os.Debug;
import android.support.v7.app.ActionBarActivity;
import android.support.v7.app.ActionBar;
import android.support.v4.app.Fragment;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.os.Build;
import android.widget.LinearLayout;
import android.widget.RelativeLayout;


public class HomeActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
    private static final boolean INFLATE_PROGRAMMATICALY=true;
    private static final boolean SHOULD_FYI_VIEW_BE_SHOWN=true;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_home);
        if (savedInstanceState == null) {
            getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction()
                    .add(R.id.container, new PlaceholderFragment())
                    .commit();
        }
    }


    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.home, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will
        // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long
        // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml.
        int id = item.getItemId();
        if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
            return true;
        }
        return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
    }

    public static class PlaceholderFragment extends Fragment {

        public PlaceholderFragment() {
        }
        @Override
        public void onAttach(Activity activity) {
            super.onAttach(activity);
            StringBuilder name = new StringBuilder();
            name.append("ctm_test_perf");
            if(INFLATE_PROGRAMMATICALY)
                name.append("_prgm");
            else
                name.append("_gone");
            if(SHOULD_FYI_VIEW_BE_SHOWN)
                name.append("_view_shown");
            else
                name.append("_view_hidden");
            Debug.startMethodTracing(name.toString());
        }

        @Override
        public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
                Bundle savedInstanceState) {
            LinearLayout root;
            if(INFLATE_PROGRAMMATICALY) {
                root = (LinearLayout) inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_test_prgmcly, container, false);
                if(SHOULD_FYI_VIEW_BE_SHOWN) {
                    View tutoView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.inner_view, root, false);
                    root.addView(tutoView);
                }
            } else {
                root = (LinearLayout) inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_test_gone,container,false);
                if(SHOULD_FYI_VIEW_BE_SHOWN) {
                    View tutoView = root.findViewById(R.id.RL_inner_view);
                    tutoView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                }
            }
            return root;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
        Debug.stopMethodTracing();
    }


}

inner_view.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:padding="@dimen/default_padding">
    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/IMG_image"
        android:layout_width="@dimen/double_row"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/triple_row"
        android:scaleType="centerCrop"
        android:src="@drawable/ic_launcher"/>
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/TV_text"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:paddingBottom="@dimen/default_padding"
        android:text="@string/hello_world"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/IMG_image"
        />
    <View
        android:id="@+id/V_separator"
        android:layout_below="@id/TV_text"
        android:layout_toRightOf="@id/IMG_image"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="@dimen/separator_height"
        android:layout_marginRight="@dimen/default_padding"
        android:layout_marginLeft="@dimen/default_padding"
        android:background="@color/separator"/>
    <Button
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@id/V_separator"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:paddingRight="@dimen/double_padding"
        android:text="@string/ok"
        android:padding="0dp"/>
</RelativeLayout>