Inline Strings vs. Concatenation in PHP5: Which Method Offers Better Performance?

Inline Strings vs. Concatenation in PHP5: A Question of Speed

When working with strings in PHP5, developers often encounter the question of whether to use inline strings or string concatenation for better performance. While PHP's performance has significantly improved over time, this issue remains relevant for those seeking optimal efficiency.

In the context of the question, three cases are presented:

Case 1: print "these are $foo";
Case 2: print "these are {$foo}";
Case 3: print 'these are ' . $foo;

The query raises two specific inquiries: is there a substantial difference in speed between cases 1 and 2? Additionally, how do cases 1 and 2 compare to case 3?

Answer:

As of January 2012, and likely earlier, the performance difference between inline strings and concatenation has become negligible. Benchmark tests have consistently shown that the time required to execute these operations is virtually identical. For example, a test conducted in PHP 5.4.0 yielded the following results:

• Single quotes: 0.061846971511841 seconds
• Double quotes: 0.061599016189575 seconds

Conclusion:

While earlier versions of PHP may have exhibited a difference in performance, modern iterations have effectively eliminated this issue. Developers should not focus on optimizing code based on the perceived speed advantages of inline strings versus concatenation.

It is worth noting the aphorism: "Never trust a statistic you didn’t forge yourself." This adage underscores the importance of conducting thorough testing to validate performance claims, rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence or outdated benchmarks.

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