Exception vs Out Parameter Benchmark

gistfile1.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

namespace ExceptionVsOutParamBenchmark
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var numberOfIterations = 1000000;
            var goodS1 = "Adam";
            var goodS2 = "Carr";
            var combinedGoodStrings = goodS1 + goodS2;
            var badS1 = string.Empty;
            string badS2 = null;

            //benchmark for exceptions
            var exceptionTime = Benchmark(() =>
                                              {
                                                  var combinedString = StringCombiner.CombineString(goodS1, goodS2);
                                                  if (combinedGoodStrings != combinedString)
                                                  {
                                                      throw new Exception("Combination Failed");
                                                  }

                                                  try
                                                  {
                                                      StringCombiner.CombineString(badS1, badS2);
                                                      throw new Exception("Combination didn't fail and should have.");
                                                  }
                                                  catch (Exception)
                                                  {

                                                  }
                                              },
                                          numberOfIterations);

            //benchmark for out parameters
            var outParamTime = Benchmark(() =>
                                             {
                                                 string combinedString;

                                                 if (
                                                     !StringCombiner.TryCombineString(goodS1, goodS2, out combinedString))
                                                 {
                                                     throw new Exception("Combination Failed");
                                                 }

                                                 string badCombinedString;
                                                 if (StringCombiner.TryCombineString(badS1, badS2, out badCombinedString))
                                                 {
                                                     throw new Exception("Combination didn't fail and should have.");
                                                 }
                                             },
                                         numberOfIterations);

            var expenseCoefficientForExceptions = exceptionTime.Ticks/(decimal) outParamTime.Ticks;
            Console.WriteLine("The expense of using excpetions is {0} times that compared to using out parameters.", expenseCoefficientForExceptions);
        }

        static TimeSpan Benchmark(Action task, int numberOfIterations)
        {
            var startTime = DateTime.Now;
            Console.WriteLine("Benchmark started at: {0}", startTime);
            for (int i = 0; i < numberOfIterations; i++)
            {
                task.Invoke();
            }
            var endTime = DateTime.Now;
            Console.WriteLine("Benchmark ended at: {0}", endTime);
            var elapsedTime = endTime.Subtract(startTime);
            Console.WriteLine("Benchmark duration was {0} for {1:N} iterations.", elapsedTime, numberOfIterations);

            return elapsedTime;
        }
    }

    public static class StringCombiner
    {
        public static string CombineString(string s1, string s2)
        {
            if(string.IsNullOrEmpty(s1) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(s2))
            {
                throw new Exception("s1 or s2 is null or empty");
            }

            return s1 + s2;
        }

        public static bool TryCombineString(string s1, string s2, out string result)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(s1) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(s2))
            {
                result = string.Empty;
                return false;
            }

            result = s1 + s2;
            return true;
        }
    }
}