Performance of dynamically created type

Question

Using C#, I am noticing a significant difference in perfomance when populating a list with instances of a dynamically generated type versus a simple struct. The code below includes 4 different methods for populating a list with 100,000 objects.

Each method performs differently:

Button1: 15 milliseconds

Button2: 31 milliseconds

Button3 & 4: 300 milliseconds

Note, the code for button 3 & 4 came from this topic

Could anyone explain why the dynamically created object is slower?

    public struct DataRow
    {
        public double t;
        public double vf;
        public double im;

        public double T { get { return t; } set { t = value; } }
        public double Vf { get { return vf; } set { vf = value; } }
        public double Im { get { return im; } set { im = value; } }
    }

    //Use struct defined above
    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        int n = 0;

        //adding rows
        List<DataRow> myTable = new List<DataRow>();
        DataRow myRow = new DataRow();

        start = DateTime.Now;

        while (n < 100000)
        {
            myRow.T = n * 1.0;
            myRow.Vf = 2.0;
            myRow.Im = 4.0;

            myTable.Add(myRow);

            n++;
        }
        end = DateTime.Now;
        System.TimeSpan diff = end.Subtract(start);
        label2.Text = diff.Seconds.ToString();
        label4.Text = diff.Milliseconds.ToString();

        dataGridView1.DataSource = myTable;
    }

    //define the list as it is done on buttons 3 & 4 but use the static struct
    private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Type myType = typeof(DataRow);

        Type listType = typeof(List<>);

        Type myListType = listType.MakeGenericType(myType);

        IList myTable = (IList)Activator.CreateInstance(myListType);

        DataRow bRow = new DataRow();

        int n = 0;
        start = DateTime.Now;
        while (n < 100000)
        {
            bRow.t = n * 1.0;
            bRow.vf = 2.0;
            bRow.im = 4.0;
            myTable.Add(bRow);

            n++;
        }
        end = DateTime.Now;
        System.TimeSpan diff = end.Subtract(start);
        label2.Text = diff.Seconds.ToString();
        label4.Text = diff.Milliseconds.ToString();
        dataGridView1.DataSource = myTable;

    }

    //Create assy at runtime and load dll
    private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Type myType = CreateDynRow();
        Assembly myAssy = Assembly.LoadFrom("DynaRowAssy.dll");
        Type myRow = myAssy.GetType("DynaRow");

        Type listType = typeof(List<>);

        Type myListType = listType.MakeGenericType(myRow);

        IList myTable = (IList)Activator.CreateInstance(myListType);

        FieldInfo piT = myRow.GetField("t");
        FieldInfo piVf = myRow.GetField("vf");
        FieldInfo piIm = myRow.GetField("im");

        ValueType aRow = (ValueType)Activator.CreateInstance(myRow);

        int n = 0;
        start = DateTime.Now;
        while (n < 100000)
        {
            piT.SetValue(aRow, 1 * n);
            piVf.SetValue(aRow, 2.0);
            piIm.SetValue(aRow, 4.0);
            myTable.Add(aRow);

            n++;
        }
        end = DateTime.Now;
        System.TimeSpan diff = end.Subtract(start);
        label2.Text = diff.Seconds.ToString();
        label4.Text = diff.Milliseconds.ToString();
        dataGridView1.DataSource = myTable;
    }

    //create assy at runtime in memory
    private void button4_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //build the assembly
        Type myType = CreateDynRow();

        Type listType = typeof(List<>);

        Type myListType = listType.MakeGenericType(myType);

        IList myTable = (IList)Activator.CreateInstance(myListType);

        FieldInfo piT = myType.GetField("t");
        FieldInfo piVf = myType.GetField("vf");
        FieldInfo piIm = myType.GetField("im");

        ValueType aRow = (ValueType)Activator.CreateInstance(myType);

        int n = 0;
        start = DateTime.Now;
        while (n < 100000)
        {
            piT.SetValue(aRow, 1 * n);
            piVf.SetValue(aRow, 2.0);
            piIm.SetValue(aRow, 4.0);
            myTable.Add(aRow);

            n++;
        }
        end = DateTime.Now;
        System.TimeSpan diff = end.Subtract(start);
        label2.Text = diff.Seconds.ToString();
        label4.Text = diff.Milliseconds.ToString();
        dataGridView1.DataSource = myTable;
    }

Answer 1

Simple Answer: More code is being executed to dynamicaly create the object.

Reflection is always going to be slower than defining the type up front and then working with that object directly. You're asking the runtime to do a lot more work for you rather than specifying everything up front. Depending on which Reflection features you're using...your code will be slower.

If you want the specifics, examine the IL that your code generates. That should give you the whole story.

Answer 2

It's not (primarily) the dynamic creation: it's the use of reflection (FieldInfo.SetValue) that makes the button3 and button4 versions slower than when the calls can be compiled in.

A possible way around this is to declare an interface that your code can compile against, and have the dynamic type implement this interface. You'll still take a small hit instantiating and querying the dynamic type for that interface via reflection, but after that it should be as fast as the "static" references.

Answer 3

Thanks for all your help. I work with Dan who posed this question. Sorry if this isn't the right way to comment. I'm just learning about this great site.

Jan Jongboom - Can you give me more info on System.Expressions? Are you referring to System.Linq.Expressions?

Justin Niessner - we're looking at IL. Great call. One problem is that SetValue used Objects only so all data must be boxed. Looking for workaround.

itowelson - great head's-up on stopwatch. I don't understand the interface comment since the interface would need to be static, thus defeating the whole purpose of the dynamic class. Thanks, Max

Answer 4

Here's what we came up with. It is almost as fast as the statically defined case:

// Dynamically create DataRow derived from ValueType, 
// List of DataRows, 
// Delegates to properties
//  

private void button4_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Type myType = CreateDynRow();  // dynamic version of DataRow, see above
    Type myListType = typeof(List<>).MakeGenericType(myType);
    IList myTable = (IList)Activator.CreateInstance(myListType);
    ValueType myRowBuffer = (ValueType)Activator.CreateInstance(myType);

    var mySet_TDelegate = myRowBuffer.GetInstanceInvoker<Action<Double>>("set_T");
    var mySet_ImDelegate = myRowBuffer.GetInstanceInvoker<Action<Double>>("set_Im");
    var mySet_VfDelegate = myRowBuffer.GetInstanceInvoker<Action<Double>>("set_Vf");

    stopWatch.Reset();
    stopWatch.Start();
    for (int n = 0; n < rowCount; n++)
    {
        mySet_TDelegate(1.0 * n);
        mySet_ImDelegate(4.0);
        mySet_VfDelegate(2.0);

        myTable.Add(myRowBuffer);
    }
    stopWatch.Stop();
    label1.Text = String.Format("{0}", stopWatch.ElapsedMilliseconds);

    dataGridView1.DataSource = myTable;
}

Thanks for your help. By the way, we got here using Justin's & Mark's answers. And GetInstanceInvoker is from Kenneth Xu's Common.Reflection class.