The original post: /r/php by /u/i986ninja on 2025-02-21 22:57:24.

I recently compared two methods for generating unique keys in PHP, modeled after the Facebook User ID system.

One using a for loop and the other using string padding.

Spoiler alert: The padding method proved faster.

Here’s a quick overview: https://pastebin.com/xc47LFy4

Can someone explain me why this is the case?

Is it due to reduced function call overhead, more efficient string manipulation, or something else?