What's the performance difference (if there is any) between these three approaches, both used to transform an array to another array?
foreacharray_map with lambda/closure functionarray_map with 'static' function/methodTo make myself clear, let's have look at the examples, all doing the same - multiplying the array of numbers by 10:
$numbers = range(0, 1000);
Foreach
$result = array();
foreach ($numbers as $number) {
$result[] = $number * 10;
}
return $result;
Map with lambda
return array_map(function($number) {
return $number * 10;
}, $numbers);
Map with 'static' function, passed as string reference
function tenTimes($number) {
return $number * 10;
}
return array_map('tenTimes', $numbers);
Is there any other approach? I will be happy to hear actually all differences between the cases from above, and any inputs why one should be used instead of others.
FWIW, I just did the benchmark since poster didn't do it. Running on PHP 5.3.10 + XDebug.
UPDATE 2015-01-22 compare with mcfedr's answer below for additional results without XDebug and a more recent PHP version.
function lap($func) {
$t0 = microtime(1);
$numbers = range(0, 1000000);
$ret = $func($numbers);
$t1 = microtime(1);
return array($t1 - $t0, $ret);
}
function useForeach($numbers) {
$result = array();
foreach ($numbers as $number) {
$result[] = $number * 10;
}
return $result;
}
function useMapClosure($numbers) {
return array_map(function($number) {
return $number * 10;
}, $numbers);
}
function _tenTimes($number) {
return $number * 10;
}
function useMapNamed($numbers) {
return array_map('_tenTimes', $numbers);
}
foreach (array('Foreach', 'MapClosure', 'MapNamed') as $callback) {
list($delay,) = lap("use$callback");
echo "$callback: $delay\n";
}
I get pretty consistent results with 1M numbers across a dozen attempts:
Supposing the lackluster speed of the map on closure was caused by the closure possibly being evaluated each time, I also tested like this:
function useMapClosure($numbers) {
$closure = function($number) {
return $number * 10;
};
return array_map($closure, $numbers);
}
But the results are identical, confirming that the closure is only evaluated once.
2014-02-02 UPDATE: opcodes dump
Here are the opcode dumps for the three callbacks. First useForeach():
compiled vars: !0 = $numbers, !1 = $result, !2 = $number
line # * op fetch ext return operands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 0 > EXT_NOP
1 RECV 1
11 2 EXT_STMT
3 INIT_ARRAY ~0
4 ASSIGN !1, ~0
12 5 EXT_STMT
6 > FE_RESET $2 !0, ->15
7 > > FE_FETCH $3 $2, ->15
8 > OP_DATA
9 ASSIGN !2, $3
13 10 EXT_STMT
11 MUL ~6 !2, 10
12 ASSIGN_DIM !1
13 OP_DATA ~6, $7
14 14 > JMP ->7
15 > SWITCH_FREE $2
15 16 EXT_STMT
17 > RETURN !1
16 18* EXT_STMT
19* > RETURN null
Then the useMapClosure()
compiled vars: !0 = $numbers
line # * op fetch ext return operands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18 0 > EXT_NOP
1 RECV 1
19 2 EXT_STMT
3 EXT_FCALL_BEGIN
4 DECLARE_LAMBDA_FUNCTION '%00%7Bclosure%7D%2Ftmp%2Flap.php0x7f7fc1424173'
21 5 SEND_VAL ~0
6 SEND_VAR !0
7 DO_FCALL 2 $1 'array_map'
8 EXT_FCALL_END
9 > RETURN $1
22 10* EXT_STMT
11* > RETURN null
and the closure it calls:
compiled vars: !0 = $number
line # * op fetch ext return operands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 0 > EXT_NOP
1 RECV 1
20 2 EXT_STMT
3 MUL ~0 !0, 10
4 > RETURN ~0
21 5* EXT_STMT
6* > RETURN null
then the useMapNamed() function:
compiled vars: !0 = $numbers
line # * op fetch ext return operands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28 0 > EXT_NOP
1 RECV 1
29 2 EXT_STMT
3 EXT_FCALL_BEGIN
4 SEND_VAL '_tenTimes'
5 SEND_VAR !0
6 DO_FCALL 2 $0 'array_map'
7 EXT_FCALL_END
8 > RETURN $0
30 9* EXT_STMT
10* > RETURN null
and the named function it calls, _tenTimes():
compiled vars: !0 = $number
line # * op fetch ext return operands
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 0 > EXT_NOP
1 RECV 1
25 2 EXT_STMT
3 MUL ~0 !0, 10
4 > RETURN ~0
26 5* EXT_STMT
6* > RETURN null