case_vs_send.rb

require "benchmark"

class Foo
  def initialize(bar)
    @bar = bar
  end

  attr_reader :bar

  def do_case
    case bar
    when "a"
      "a"
    when "b"
      "b"
    when "c"
      "c"
    when "d"
      "d"
    end
  end

  def do_send
    send(bar)
  end

private

  def a
    "a"
  end

  def b
    "b"
  end

  def c
    "c"
  end

  def d
    "d"
  end
end

foo = Foo.new("a")
puts "benchmarking case: a"
puts Benchmark.measure { 1_000_000.times { foo.do_case } }
puts "benchmarking send: a"
puts Benchmark.measure { 1_000_000.times { foo.do_send } }

foo = Foo.new("d")
puts "benchmarking case: d"
puts Benchmark.measure { 1_000_000.times { foo.do_case } }
puts "benchmarking send: d"
puts Benchmark.measure { 1_000_000.times { foo.do_send } }

gistfile1.txt

~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.280000   0.000000   0.280000 (  0.299583)
benchmarking send: a
  0.330000   0.010000   0.340000 (  0.342247)
benchmarking case: d
  0.260000   0.000000   0.260000 (  0.272458)
benchmarking send: d
  0.360000   0.010000   0.370000 (  0.390494)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.290000   0.000000   0.290000 (  0.307030)
benchmarking send: a
  0.350000   0.010000   0.360000 (  0.377197)
benchmarking case: d
  0.240000   0.000000   0.240000 (  0.257030)
benchmarking send: d
  0.350000   0.010000   0.360000 (  0.385077)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.290000   0.010000   0.300000 (  0.320443)
benchmarking send: a
  0.350000   0.000000   0.350000 (  0.363823)
benchmarking case: d
  0.260000   0.000000   0.260000 (  0.275449)
benchmarking send: d
  0.320000   0.010000   0.330000 (  0.348568)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.310000   0.010000   0.320000 (  0.383576)
benchmarking send: a
  0.310000   0.000000   0.310000 (  0.308605)
benchmarking case: d
  0.270000   0.000000   0.270000 (  0.281642)
benchmarking send: d
  0.330000   0.010000   0.340000 (  0.348779)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.280000   0.000000   0.280000 (  0.295815)
benchmarking send: a
  0.360000   0.010000   0.370000 (  0.392535)
benchmarking case: d
  0.280000   0.000000   0.280000 (  0.290594)
benchmarking send: d
  0.340000   0.010000   0.350000 (  0.363607)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.300000   0.010000   0.310000 (  0.312629)
benchmarking send: a
  0.340000   0.000000   0.340000 (  0.355788)
benchmarking case: d
  0.240000   0.000000   0.240000 (  0.260041)
benchmarking send: d
  0.340000   0.000000   0.340000 (  0.348781)
~/Projects $ ruby case_vs_send.rb 
benchmarking case: a
  0.300000   0.000000   0.300000 (  0.311963)
benchmarking send: a
  0.320000   0.010000   0.330000 (  0.331134)
benchmarking case: d
  0.290000   0.000000   0.290000 (  0.299811)
benchmarking send: d
  0.310000   0.000000   0.310000 (  0.322822)