speed test (map() vs pairs())

-- define map function (pretending it's default in lua)
local function map(t, f) for _, v in pairs(t) do f(v) end end

-- "randomTable" with 10,000 elements (numbers)
local randomTable = (function()
    local acc = {}
    for i=1, 10000 do
        table.insert(acc, i)
    end
    return acc
end)()

local function mapAnonymous()
    map(randomTable, function(element)
        io.write(element .. ' ')
    end)
    print()
end

local function mapDefined()
    local function printElement(element)
        io.write(element .. ' ')
    end
    map(randomTable, printElement)
    print()
end

local function pairsLoop()
    for _, element in pairs(randomTable) do
        io.write(element .. ' ')
    end
    print()
end

local results = {
    mapA = 0;
    mapB = 0;
    pairs = 0;
    tests = 0;
}

local function test()
    -- for speed measurement
    local oldTime, newTime

    -- mapping (with anonymous function)
    oldTime = os.clock()
    mapAnonymous()
    newTime = os.clock()
    results.mapA = results.mapA + (newTime - oldTime)

    -- mapping (defined function)
    oldTime = os.clock()
    mapDefined()
    newTime = os.clock()
    results.mapB = results.mapB + (newTime - oldTime)

    -- pairs
    oldTime = os.clock()
    pairsLoop()
    newTime = os.clock()
    results.pairs = results.pairs + (newTime - oldTime)

    results.tests = results.tests + 1
end

local function averageResults()
    for i,v in pairs(results) do
        if i ~= 'tests' then
            results[i] = v / results.tests
        end
    end
end

local function printResults()
    print('Mapping (anonymous function):',  results.mapA)
    print('Mapping (defined function):',    results.mapB)
    print('Using Pairs:',                   results.pairs)
end

test()
test()
test()
test()
test()
test()
test()
test()
test()
test()

averageResults()
printResults()

--[[ results of 5 tests

Mapping (anonymous function):   0.0341
Mapping (defined function): 0.0302
Using Pairs:            0.0287 <-- winner

Mapping (anonymous function):   0.0329
Mapping (defined function): 0.0276 <-- winner
Using Pairs:            0.0315

Mapping (anonymous function):   0.0384
Mapping (defined function): 0.0344
Using Pairs:            0.031  <-- winner

Mapping (anonymous function):   0.0322
Mapping (defined function): 0.0416
Using Pairs:            0.0253 <-- winner

Mapping (anonymous function):   0.0448
Mapping (defined function): 0.0262
Using Pairs:            0.0259 <-- winner
]]