Static binding takes place at ______ time.

Compile time refers to the phase of software development when the source code written in a programming language is transformed by a compiler into a machine code. This machine code is then executable on a computer system. During this phase, many important steps occur, including syntax checking, type checking, and, crucially, static binding of functions and variables.

In C++, when you use static functions or have explicit definitions for which function to call in your code, the compiler decides what code to execute when a function is called. The compiler does this by looking at the type of object and its bound method, rather than waiting to determine this at runtime. Understanding this process is crucial, as it has an impact on performance optimization and can also dictate how you structure your C++ programs.

Method binding in C++ associates a method call with the method definition. There are two types of method binding: static (early) and dynamic (late) binding. Static binding happens at compile time and is resolved by the compiler. This means that the method to be called is determined based on the type of the object at compile time.

Functions marked as 'static', as well as private and final methods (which cannot be overridden), are typically involved in static binding. By contrast, dynamic binding happens at runtime and is used for functions that are virtual and thus able to be overridden. Utilizing static binding efficiently can lead to performance improvements in your applications since method calls are resolved faster.

Static functions are a core feature of C++ programming which fundamentally engage with static binding. A static function is associated with the class itself rather than any particular object instance. This means you can call a static function without creating an object of the class.

Static functions are bound at compile time—utilizing the static binding mechanism—which is what makes them efficient in terms of performance; the overhead of dynamic dispatch is eliminated. An important caveat is that static functions can only access other static members (both variables and functions) because they do not have a 'this' pointer to an instance of the class.

Programming concepts are the foundational ideas that underpin the structure and execution of programs in a programming language like C++. These include data types, variables, control structures, syntax, and binding methods, to name a few. A thorough understanding of these concepts is essential to write efficient and effective code.

Particularly, the concepts of static and dynamic binding are fundamental in understanding how a program executes and relates to object-oriented programming (OOP) principles such as inheritance and polymorphism. Grasping the distinction between compile time and runtime operations, and how static functions operate, can significantly influence the design of your software and its performance.