What is the cost of a function call?

Question

Compared to

• Simple memory access
• Disk access
• Memory access on another computer(on the same network)
• Disk access on another computer

Answer 1

A function call is simply a shift of the frame pointer in memory onto the stack and addition of a new frame on top of that. The function parameters are shifted into local registers for use and the stack pointer is advanced to the new top of the stack for execution of the function.

In comparison with time

Function call ~ simple memory access
Function call < Disk Access
Function call < memory access on another computer
Function call < disk access on another computer