Timings of passing function arguments in Matlab

.pass_function_arguments.m

function pass_function_arguments()
global sz, global loops
sz = 10000;
loops = 5;

dummy_mat = rand(sz); 

dummy_class = DataClass(); 
dummy_class.data = dummy_mat;

dummy_handle = DataClassHandle(); 
dummy_handle.data = dummy_mat;

dummy_struct = struct; 
dummy_struct.data = dummy_mat;

disp(" ")
disp("Read")
disp("====")
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],    false, false));
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],    false, false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @read, false, false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @read, false, false));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @read, false, true));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @read, false, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @read, false, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @read, false, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @read, false, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @read, false, true));

disp(" ")
disp("Write")
disp("=====")
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],     true,  false));
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],     true,  false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @write, false, false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @write, false, false));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @write, false, true));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @write, false, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @write, false, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @write, false, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @write, false, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @write, false, true));

disp(" ")
disp("Write & re-assign")
disp("=================")
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],     true, false));
fprintf('ref:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    [],     true, false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @write, true, false));
fprintf('mat:    %f\n', timer(dummy_mat,    @write, true, false));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @write, true, true));
fprintf('struct: %f\n', timer(dummy_struct, @write, true, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @write, true, true));
fprintf('class:  %f\n', timer(dummy_class,  @write, true, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @write, true, true));
fprintf('handle: %f\n', timer(dummy_handle, @write, true, true));
end

function t = timer(dummy, func, do_reassign, has_data_field)
    global sz, global loops
    tic;
    for i = 1:loops
        if do_reassign
            if isempty(func)
                dummy(randi(sz), randi(sz)) = rand; % ref write
            else
                dummy = func(dummy, has_data_field);
            end
        else
            if isempty(func)
                foo = dummy(randi(sz), randi(sz)); % ref read
            else
                func(dummy, has_data_field);
            end
        end
    end
    t = toc;
end

function read(dummy, has_data_field)
    global sz
    if has_data_field
        foo = dummy.data(randi(sz), randi(sz));
    else
        foo = dummy(randi(sz), randi(sz));
    end
end

function dummy = write(dummy, has_data_field)
    global sz
    if has_data_field
        dummy.data(randi(sz), randi(sz)) = rand;
    else
        dummy(randi(sz), randi(sz)) = rand;
    end
end

DataClass.m

classdef DataClass
    properties
        data
    end
end

DataClassHandle.m

classdef DataClassHandle < handle
    properties
        data
    end
end

output.txt

Read
====
ref:    0.000815
ref:    0.000517
mat:    0.001349
mat:    0.000251
struct: 0.001657
struct: 0.000061
class:  0.001487
class:  0.000059
handle: 0.001249
handle: 0.000055
 
Write
=====
ref:    0.410640
ref:    0.417686
mat:    2.432822
mat:    2.373602
struct: 2.339701
struct: 2.372296
class:  2.333061
class:  2.352433
handle: 0.425259
handle: 0.000089
 
Write & re-assign
=================
ref:    0.410176
ref:    0.412665
mat:    0.414462
mat:    0.411518
struct: 0.419934
struct: 0.412815
class:  0.414880
class:  0.411838
handle: 0.000737
handle: 0.000062