Re: May the numbers speak

There may be several issues on a real computer which make
these considerations immaterial:
ANEW -timescan
: dtimescan ( addr count -- d )
   over swap + >r >r
   0. r> 0
   begin
      over r@ <
   while
      over c@ ':'
      = if  swap >r s>d d+ #60 1 m*/ r> 0
      else  #10 * over c@ [char] 0 - +
     endif
     swap 1+ swap
   repeat
   -r nip s>d d+ ;
: timestrscan ( addr count -- d )
  1 1 LOCALS| c6 c1 |
  0. 2SWAP
  OVER + 1- ?DO
       I C@ DUP ':' =
       IF  DROP
           c6 #60 * TO c6
           1 TO C1
     ELSE  '0' -  C1 *  C6 M* D+
           #10 TO C1
    ENDIF
  -1 +LOOP ;
: TEST ( --  )
  CR ." \ dtimescan   : " S" 12:34:56" TICKS-RESET dtimescan
     TICKS? UD. ." clock ticks elapsed, " UD.
  CR ." \ timestrscan : " S" 12:34:56" TICKS-RESET timestrscan
     TICKS? UD. ." clock ticks elapsed, " UD. ;
  TEST
FORTH> in
\ dtimescan   : 1258 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ timestrscan : 419 clock ticks elapsed, 45296  ok
FORTH> TEST TEST TEST
\ dtimescan   : 1258 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ timestrscan : 419 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ dtimescan   : 419 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ timestrscan : 420 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ dtimescan   : 419 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
\ timestrscan : 420 clock ticks elapsed, 45296
FORTH>
A 'clock tick' is approximately 0.2ns.
-marcel