std::function vs template

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Thanks to C++11 we received the std::function family of functor wrappers. Unfortunately, I keep hearing only bad things about these new additions. The most popular is that they are horribly slow. I tested it and they truly suck in comparison with templates.

#include <iostream>
#include <functional>
#include <string>
#include <chrono>

template <typename F>
float calc1(F f) { return -1.0f * f(3.3f) + 666.0f; }

float calc2(std::function<float(float)> f) { return -1.0f * f(3.3f) + 666.0f; }

int main() {
    using namespace std::chrono;

    const auto tp1 = system_clock::now();
    for (int i = 0; i < 1e8; ++i) {
        calc1([](float arg){ return arg * 0.5f; });
    }
    const auto tp2 = high_resolution_clock::now();

    const auto d = duration_cast<milliseconds>(tp2 - tp1);  
    std::cout << d.count() << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

111 ms vs 1241 ms. I assume this is because templates can be nicely inlined, while functions cover the internals via virtual calls.

Obviously templates have their issues as I see them:

  • they have to be provided as headers which is not something you might not wish to do when releasing your library as a closed code,
  • they may make the compilation time much longer unless extern template-like policy is introduced,
  • there is no (at least known to me) clean way of representing requirements (concepts, anyone?) of a template, bar a comment describing what kind of functor is expected.

Can I thus assume that functions can be used as de facto standard of passing functors, and in places where high performance is expected templates should be used?

Edit:

My compiler is the Visual Studio 2012 without CTP.

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