A Small Ruby vs Crystal Comparison

_intro.md

A Small Ruby vs Crystal Test

I recently had to write a quick script to update a text file full of pdf annotations. I wrote the script in Ruby then I wondered how much of a difference in speed I would get if I turned it into Crystal. See below.

annotations-fixed.txt

@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 224
Annotation Summary of Eclipse_Phase_Transhumanitys_Fate 2.pdf.

Credits

Highlight [1]: The Posthumans dedicate this book to Jef Smith, our companion of many days & nights around the table. Jef was a tireless organizer in Chicago's science-fiction/ fantasy fandom, including the Think Galactic reading group and spin-off convention, Think Galacticon. In 2015, he co-published the Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology with PM Press. We will miss Jef's encouragement, wit, and bottomless generosity. The person who lives large in the lives of their friends is not soon forgotten. (@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 225)
and Note: This is the dedication


The Fall

Highlight [4]: In Transhumanity's Fate, you play secret agents protecting the scattered remnants of transhumanity from threats that could wipe it out once and for all. (@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 228)

Highlight [4]: The Fall became a race to get key people, equipment, and resources off Earth as quickly as possible—and damn the cost to everyone else. (@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 228)

Note [4]: This is a Purple Note. (@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 228)

annotations.txt

@AmarasingamReligionNewAtheism2012 224
Annotation Summary of Eclipse_Phase_Transhumanitys_Fate 2.pdf.

Credits

Highlight [1]: The Posthumans dedicate this book to Jef Smith, our companion of many days & nights around the table. Jef was a tireless organizer in Chicago's science-fiction/ fantasy fandom, including the Think Galactic reading group and spin-off convention, Think Galacticon. In 2015, he co-published the Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology with PM Press. We will miss Jef's encouragement, wit, and bottomless generosity. The person who lives large in the lives of their friends is not soon forgotten.
and Note: This is the dedication


The Fall

Highlight [4]: In Transhumanity's Fate, you play secret agents protecting the scattered remnants of transhumanity from threats that could wipe it out once and for all.

Highlight [4]: The Fall became a race to get key people, equipment, and resources off Earth as quickly as possible—and damn the cost to everyone else.

Note [4]: This is a Purple Note.

fix-annotations.cr

file = ARGV.first
new_file = [] of String
citekey = ""
starting_page_number = 0
current_page = 0

if File.exists?(file)
  text = File.read(file)
  if text.lines.first =~ /@.*\d+/
    header = text.lines.first.strip.split(" ")
    citekey = header.first
    num = header.last
    starting_page_number = num.to_i
  end
  text.lines.each do |line|
    if line =~ /^(Highlight|Note)\s\[\d+\]:/
      match_data = line.match(/^(Highlight|Note)\s\[(?<page>\d+)\]/)
      page_number = match_data["page"].to_i if match_data
      current_page = starting_page_number + page_number if page_number
      new_file << "#{line.gsub("\n", "")} (#{citekey} #{current_page})"
    else
      new_file << line
    end
  end
end

puts new_file.join("\n")

fix-annotations.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

file = ARGV.first
new_file = []
citekey = ""
starting_page_number = 0
current_page = 0

if File.exists?(file)
  text = File.read(file)
  if text.lines.first =~ /@.*\d+/
    header = text.lines.first.strip.split(" ")
    citekey = header.first
    num = header.last
    starting_page_number = num.to_i
  end
  text.lines.each do |line|
    if line =~ /^(Highlight|Note)\s\[\d+\]:/
      match_data = line.match(/^(Highlight|Note)\s\[(?<page>\d+)\]/)
      page_number = match_data["page"].to_i if match_data
      current_page = starting_page_number + page_number if page_number
      new_file << "#{line.gsub("\n", "")} (#{citekey} #{current_page})"
    else
      new_file << line
    end
  end
end

puts new_file.join("")

results.md

Small Ruby Script vs Crystal

Commands

# Ruby
time ./fix-annotations.rb annotations.txt > annotations-fixed.txt

./fix-annotations.rb annotations.txt > annotations-fixed.txt  0.14s user 0.10s system 68% cpu 0.346 total

# Crystal
time ./fix-annotations annotations.txt > annotations-fixed.txt

./fix-annotations annotations.txt > annotations-fixed.txt  0.00s user 0.00s system 55% cpu 0.013 total

Results:

• Ruby: 0.14s
• Crystal: 0.00s