Best way to create an instance of run-time determined type [duplicate]

Answer 1

Best way for performance to repeatedly create instance in runtime is compiled expression:

static readonly Func YCreator = Expression.Lambda>(
   Expression.New(typeof(Y).GetConstructor(Type.EmptyTypes))
 ).Compile();

X x = YCreator();

Statistics (2012):

    Iterations: 5000000
    00:00:00.8481762, Activator.CreateInstance(string, string)
    00:00:00.8416930, Activator.CreateInstance(type)
    00:00:06.6236752, ConstructorInfo.Invoke
    00:00:00.1776255, Compiled expression
    00:00:00.0462197, new

Statistics (2015, .net 4.5, x64):

    Iterations: 5000000
    00:00:00.2659981, Activator.CreateInstance(string, string)
    00:00:00.2603770, Activator.CreateInstance(type)
    00:00:00.7478936, ConstructorInfo.Invoke
    00:00:00.0700757, Compiled expression
    00:00:00.0286710, new

Statistics (2015, .net 4.5, x86):

    Iterations: 5000000
    00:00:00.3541501, Activator.CreateInstance(string, string)
    00:00:00.3686861, Activator.CreateInstance(type)
    00:00:00.9492354, ConstructorInfo.Invoke
    00:00:00.0719072, Compiled expression
    00:00:00.0229387, new

Full code:

public static X CreateY_New()
{
  return new Y();
}

public static X CreateY_CreateInstance()
{
  return (X)Activator.CreateInstance(typeof(Y));
}

public static X CreateY_CreateInstance_String()
{
  return (X)Activator.CreateInstance("Program", "Y").Unwrap();
}

static readonly System.Reflection.ConstructorInfo YConstructor = 
    typeof(Y).GetConstructor(Type.EmptyTypes);
static readonly object[] Empty = new object[] { };
public static X CreateY_Invoke()
{
  return (X)YConstructor.Invoke(Empty);
}

static readonly Func YCreator = Expression.Lambda>(
   Expression.New(typeof(Y).GetConstructor(Type.EmptyTypes))
 ).Compile();
public static X CreateY_CompiledExpression()
{
  return YCreator();
}

static void Main(string[] args)
{
  const int iterations = 5000000;

  Console.WriteLine("Iterations: {0}", iterations);

  foreach (var creatorInfo in new [] 
    { 
      new {Name = "Activator.CreateInstance(string, string)", Creator = (Func)CreateY_CreateInstance},
      new {Name = "Activator.CreateInstance(type)", Creator = (Func)CreateY_CreateInstance},
      new {Name = "ConstructorInfo.Invoke", Creator = (Func)CreateY_Invoke},
      new {Name = "Compiled expression", Creator = (Func)CreateY_CompiledExpression},
      new {Name = "new", Creator = (Func)CreateY_New},
    })
  {
    var creator = creatorInfo.Creator;

    var sum = 0;
    for (var i = 0; i < 1000; i++)
      sum += creator().Z;

    var stopwatch = new Stopwatch();
    stopwatch.Start();
    for (var i = 0; i < iterations; ++i)
    {
      var x = creator();
      sum += x.Z;
    }
    stopwatch.Stop();
    Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}", stopwatch.Elapsed, creatorInfo.Name);
  }
}

public class X
{
  public X() { }
  public X(int z) { this.Z = z; }
  public int Z;
}
public class Y : X { }