Select Code to Download

     split: 17 wallclock secs (16.69 usr +  0.02 sys = 16.71 CPU) @ 59
+844.40/s (n=1000000)
    substr:  0 wallclock secs ( 0.74 usr +  0.00 sys =  0.74 CPU) @ 13
+51351.35/s (n=1000000)
    unpack:  1 wallclock secs ( 1.02 usr +  0.00 sys =  1.02 CPU) @ 98
+0392.16/s (n=1000000)

     split:  2 wallclock secs ( 1.16 usr +  0.00 sys =  1.16 CPU) @ 86
+2068.97/s (n=1000000)
    substr:  1 wallclock secs ( 0.70 usr +  0.00 sys =  0.70 CPU) @ 14
+28571.43/s (n=1000000)
    unpack:  0 wallclock secs ( 0.96 usr +  0.00 sys =  0.96 CPU) @ 10
+41666.67/s (n=1000000)

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
...
sub getn_split {
    return +(split //, $_[0],2)[$_[1]-1];
}