Benchmark: timing 2000000 iterations of argumentative_1arg, argumentative_3args, direct_1arg, direct_3args, shifty_1arg, shifty_3args...

argumentative_1arg: 16 wallclock secs 
(15.85 usr +  0.03 sys = 15.88 CPU) @ 125944.58/s

argumentative_3args: 21 wallclock secs 
(19.45 usr +  0.01 sys = 19.46 CPU) @ 102774.92/s 

direct_1arg: 11 wallclock secs 
( 9.75 usr +  0.01 sys =  9.76 CPU) @ 204918.03/s 

direct_3args: 12 wallclock secs 
(11.15 usr +  0.03 sys = 11.18 CPU) @ 178890.88/s 

shifty_1arg: 16 wallclock secs 
(16.44 usr + -0.01 sys = 16.43 CPU) @ 121728.55/s 

shifty_3args: 23 wallclock secs 
(21.91 usr +  0.02 sys = 21.93 CPU) @ 91199.27/s 

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl -w


use Benchmark;
use strict;


package ArgTest;

sub shifty_1arg
{
    my $this = shift;
    my $first_arg = shift;
    $$this += $first_arg;
}


sub shifty_3args
{
    my $this = shift;
    my $first_arg = shift;
    my $second_arg = shift;
    my $third_arg = shift;

    $$this += $first_arg + $second_arg + $third_arg;
}


sub argumentative_1arg
{
    my( $this, $first_arg ) = @_;
    $$this += $first_arg;
}

sub argumentative_3args 
{
    my( $this, $first_arg, $second_arg, $third_arg ) = @_;
    $$this += $first_arg + $second_arg + $third_arg;
}

sub direct_1arg
{
    ${$_[0]} += $_[1];
}

sub direct_3args
{
    ${$_[0]} += $_[1] + $_[2] + $_[3];
}



#   main   /------------------------------------------------

package main;

my $total;
bless( my $object = \$total, 'ArgTest' );

my @args = ( 1 .. 3 );

timethese(
    100_000,
    {
        shifty_1arg         =>  sub { $object->shifty_1arg( @args ) },
        argumentative_1arg  =>  sub { $object->argumentative_1arg( @args ) },
        direct_1arg         =>  sub { $object->direct_1arg( @args ) },

        shifty_3args        =>  sub { $object->shifty_3args( @args ) },
        argumentative_3args =>  sub { $object->argumentative_3args( @args ) },
        direct_3args        =>  sub { $object->direct_3args( @args ) },
    }
);


print "total: $total\n";

exit;