c# - Performance of Expression.Compile vs Lambda, direct vs virtual calls

Question

I'm curious how performant the Expression.Compile is versus lambda expression in the code and versus direct method usage, and also direct method calls vs virtual method calls (pseudo code):

var foo = new Foo();
var iFoo = (IFoo)foo;

foo.Bar();
iFoo.Bar();
(() => foo.Bar())();
(() => iFoo.Bar())();
Expression.Compile(foo, Foo.Bar)();
Expression.Compile(iFoo, IFoo.Bar)();
Expression.CompileToMethod(foo, Foo.Bar);
Expression.CompileToMethod(iFoo, IFoo.Bar);
MethodInfo.Invoke(foo, Foo.Bar);
MethodInfo.Invoke(iFoo, IFoo.Bar);

Answer 1

I didn't find any answer, so here is the performance test:

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Linq.Expressions;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Reflection.Emit;

namespace ExpressionTest
{
    public interface IFoo
    {
        int Bar();
    }

    public sealed class FooImpl : IFoo
    {
        public int Bar()
        {
            return 0;
        }
    }

    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var foo = new FooImpl();
            var iFoo = (IFoo)foo;

            Func<int> directLambda = () => foo.Bar();
            Func<int> virtualLambda = () => iFoo.Bar();
            var compiledDirectCall = CompileBar(foo, asInterfaceCall: false);
            var compiledVirtualCall = CompileBar(foo, asInterfaceCall: true);
            var compiledArgDirectCall = CompileBar<FooImpl>();
            var compiledArgVirtualCall = CompileBar<IFoo>();
            var barMethodInfo = typeof(FooImpl).GetMethod(nameof(FooImpl.Bar));
            var iBarMethodInfo = typeof(IFoo).GetMethod(nameof(IFoo.Bar));
            var compiledToModuleDirect = CompileToModule<FooImpl>();
            var compiledToModuleVirtual = CompileToModule<IFoo>();

            var iterationCount = 200000000;
            Console.WriteLine($"Iteration count: {iterationCount:N0}");

            var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledVirtualCall();
            var elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual (Func<int>)Expression.Compile(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledDirectCall();
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct (Func<int>)Expression.Compile(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledArgVirtualCall(iFoo);
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual (Func<IFoo, int>)Expression.Compile(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledArgDirectCall(foo);
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct (Func<FooImpl, int>)Expression.Compile(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledToModuleVirtual(iFoo);
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual (Func<IFoo, int>)Expression.CompileToMethod(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                compiledToModuleDirect(foo);
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct (Func<FooImpl, int>)Expression.CompileToMethod(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                virtualLambda();
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual () => IFoo.Bar(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                directLambda();
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct () => FooImpl.Bar(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                iFoo.Bar();
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual IFoo.Bar(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++)
                foo.Bar();
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct Foo.Bar(): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++) {
                int result = (int)iBarMethodInfo.Invoke(iFoo, null);
            }
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Virtual MethodInfo.Invoke(FooImpl, Bar): {elapsedMs} ms");

            sw.Restart();
            for (int i = 0; i < iterationCount; i++) {
                int result = (int)barMethodInfo.Invoke(foo, null);
            }
            elapsedMs = sw.ElapsedMilliseconds;
            Console.WriteLine($"Direct MethodInfo.Invoke(IFoo, Bar): {elapsedMs} ms");
        }

        static Func<int> CompileBar(IFoo foo, bool asInterfaceCall)
        {
            var fooType = asInterfaceCall ? typeof(IFoo) : foo.GetType();
            var methodInfo = fooType.GetMethod(nameof(IFoo.Bar));
            var instance = Expression.Constant(foo, fooType);
            var call = Expression.Call(instance, methodInfo);
            var lambda = Expression.Lambda(call);
            var compiledFunction = (Func<int>)lambda.Compile();
            return compiledFunction;
        }

        static Func<TInput, int> CompileBar<TInput>()
        {
            var fooType = typeof(TInput);
            var methodInfo = fooType.GetMethod(nameof(IFoo.Bar));
            var instance = Expression.Parameter(fooType, "foo");
            var call = Expression.Call(instance, methodInfo);
            var lambda = Expression.Lambda(call, instance);
            var compiledFunction = (Func<TInput, int>)lambda.Compile();
            return compiledFunction;
        }

        static Func<TInput, int> CompileToModule<TInput>()
        {
            var fooType = typeof(TInput);
            var methodInfo = fooType.GetMethod(nameof(IFoo.Bar));
            var instance = Expression.Parameter(fooType, "foo");
            var call = Expression.Call(instance, methodInfo);
            var lambda = Expression.Lambda(call, instance);

            var asmName = new AssemblyName(fooType.Name);
            var asmBuilder = AssemblyBuilder.DefineDynamicAssembly(asmName, AssemblyBuilderAccess.Run);
            var moduleBuilder = asmBuilder.DefineDynamicModule(fooType.Name);
            var typeBuilder = moduleBuilder.DefineType(fooType.Name, TypeAttributes.Public);
            var methodBuilder = typeBuilder.DefineMethod(nameof(IFoo.Bar), MethodAttributes.Static, typeof(int), new[] { fooType });
            Expression.Lambda<Action>(lambda).CompileToMethod(methodBuilder);
            var createdType = typeBuilder.CreateType();

            var mi = createdType.GetMethods(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Static)[1];
            var func = Delegate.CreateDelegate(typeof(Func<TInput, int>), mi);
            return (Func<TInput, int>)func;
        }
    }
}

On my laptop (Release mode, 64 bit, .NET 4.5.2) it yields:

Iteration count: 200,000,000
Virtual MethodInfo.Invoke(FooImpl, Bar):               61811 ms
Direct MethodInfo.Invoke(IFoo, Bar):                   37078 ms
Virtual (Func<int>)Expression.Compile():                2894 ms
Direct (Func<int>)Expression.Compile():                 2242 ms
Virtual (Func<IFoo, int>)Expression.Compile():          2319 ms
Direct (Func<FooImpl, int>)Expression.Compile():        2051 ms
Virtual (Func<IFoo, int>)Expression.CompileToMethod():   996 ms
Direct (Func<FooImpl, int>)Expression.CompileToMethod(): 679 ms
Virtual () => IFoo.Bar():                                796 ms
Direct () => FooImpl.Bar():                              469 ms
Virtual IFoo.Bar():                                      531 ms
Direct Foo.Bar():                                         68 ms

Hope this helps.