CODEWITHSUNDEEP
actionscript-3functionvariables
Gábor DANI
Gábor DANI

Reputation: 2135

Which way is better to define functions in AS3?

From the performance point of view, which function definition is better/faster? Making an object and adding functions to that, or making functions one by one?

var myCollection:Object = {
    first: function(variable:int):void {

    },
    second: function(variable:int):void {

    }
}

myCollection.first(1);

or

private function first(variable:int):void {

}

private function second(variable:int):void {

}

first(1);

Upvotes: 0

Views: 60

Answers (1)

Josh
Josh

Reputation: 8159

The latter. The performance hit will be negligible, except on a massive scale, but the second one will be slightly faster.

Basically it boils down to scope. To get a function from an object, you have to find the memory reference to the object within the scope of the class and then find the memory reference to the function within the scope of the object. With the second, you just have to find the Function object (all functions are objects) memory reference within the scope of the class.

The second method cuts out the middle man, essentially, in identifying the correct function. Now, each one will be found in less than a millisecond. As far as you are concerned, it is instant. But if you are doing this 100k times in a row? Yeah, you might see a bit of a performance boost by declaring within the class.

As an additional note, you are also adding another object to memory with the first one. Add enough of these (again, needs to be on a massive scale), and you will see a slowdown just from the superfluous objects stored in memory

You should also look at usability and readability, though. Declaring in an object means that the functions are not available as soon as the class is instantiated so you have to be careful you don't call the function before the object is instantiated. Additionally, you would lose code hinting and it is not the common way to write your code (meaning another dev, or even yourself a year from now, would have to figure out how it is working without any help from a hinter or from the standards they have already learned before they could do any modifications)

Upvotes: 2

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