testing php regex vs builtin

test.php

<?php

function test1( $string )
{
    return strtoupper( $string[0] ) === $string[0];
}

function test2( $string )
{
    return preg_match( '/^[A-Z]/', $string );
}

function results($builtin, $regex) {
    $faster = ($builtin > $regex) ? 'regex' : 'builtin';
    if ('regex' == $faster) {
        $r = 100 - (($regex / $builtin) * 100);
    } else {
        $r = 100 - (($builtin / $regex) * 100);
    }
    
    return "$faster is faster by " . number_format($r, 2) . "%\n\n";
}

$limit = 1000;
$builtinTotal = 0;
$regexTotal = 0;
$shortLower = "foo";
$shortUpper = "Foo";
$longLower  = "foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo ";
$longUpper  = "Foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo ";
$vlongLower  = "
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
";
$vlongUpper  = "
Foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo 
";

print "\n\n#####\n > Testing the following:\n";
print ' > $shortLower = "foo"';
print "\n";
print ' > $shortUpper = "Foo"';
print "\n";
print ' > $longLower  = "foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo "';
print "\n";
print ' > $longUpper  = "Foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo foo "';
print "\n\n";


print "###### TEST: lower short\n";
print "builtin\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($shortLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($shortLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);


print "###### TEST: upper short\n";
print "builtin\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($shortUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($shortUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);



print "###### TEST: lower long\n";
print "builtin\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($longLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($longLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);


print "###### TEST: lower very long\n";
print "builtin\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($vlongLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($vlongLower);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);



print "###### TEST: upper long\n";
print "builtin\n";
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($longUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($longUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);


print "###### TEST: upper very long\n";
print "builtin\n";
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test1($vlongUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedA = $end - $start;
print " >> builtin Time elapsed: $elapsedA\n\n";

print "regex\n";
$start = microtime(true);
for ($i = 0; $i < $limit; $i++) {
    test2($vlongUpper);
}
$end = microtime(true);
$elapsedB = $end - $start;
print " >> regex Time elapsed: $elapsedB\n\n";

$builtinTotal += $elapsedA;
$regexTotal += $elapsedB;
print "Result: " . results($elapsedA, $elapsedB);

print "\n# Grand total: " . results($builtinTotal, $regexTotal);