Test the speed of two different ways to quote a PHP string.

quote_speed_test.php

<?php

/**
 * @file
 * Test quote speeds.
 */

$runs = 100000000;

class Timer {
    protected $last, $timers = array(), $length = 10;

    public function start() {
        $this->last = microtime(true);
    }
    public function mark($name) {
        $this->timers[$name] = microtime(true) - $this->last;
        $this->last = microtime(true);
        $this->length = max(strlen($name) + 2, $this->length);
    }
    public function display($runs) {
        printf("%-{$this->length}s: %s" . PHP_EOL, 'Iterations', number_format($runs));

        foreach ($this->timers as $name => $value) printf("%-{$this->length}s: %.3f secs" . PHP_EOL, $name, $value);
    }
}

$timer = new Timer;
$timer->start();

// *******************************************************************
for ($i = 0; $i < $runs; $i++) { $var = '\'STORE_CLOSE_DATE\' is added via prepareRow().'; }
$timer->mark('Escaped singles');

// *******************************************************************
for ($i = 0; $i < $runs; $i++) { $var = "'STORE_CLOSE_DATE' is added via prepareRow()."; }
$timer->mark('Un-escaped doubles');

$timer->display($runs);

Iterations : 1,000,000 Escaped singles : 0.077 secs Escaped doubles : 0.075 secs

Iterations : 100,000,000 Escaped singles : 7.663 secs Un-escaped doubles : 7.572 secs