To run the test, execute:

./run.zsh

However, there are problems with zplug when the test is run in this way – the test hangs with a message:

zsh: suspended (tty input)  ./run.zsh

so an invocation of fg is required. To address this, run the test script as a function:

fpath+=( $PWD )
autoload run.zsh
run.zsh

To compute average results and draw the plots, run plot.py Python script. It needs matplotlib Python package.

Following 30 plugins are being used in the test:

z-shell/zsh-unique-id
z-shell/zsh-editing-workbench
z-shell/zsh-navigation-tools
z-shell/declare-zsh
z-shell/zsh-diff-so-fancy
z-shell/zconvey
z-shell/H-S-MW
z-shell/git-url
z-shell/zui
z-shell/zi-crasis
Oh My Zsh / lib/git.zsh
Oh My Zsh / plugins/git/git.plugin.zsh
trapd00r/LS_COLORS
jhawthorn/fzy
junegunn/fzf
urbainvaes/fzf-marks
hlissner/zsh-autopair
geometry-zsh/geometry
voronkovich/gitignore.plugin.zsh
zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions
zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting
z-shell/vramsteg-zsh
molovo/revolver
molovo/zunit
ogham/exa
iwata/git-now
tj/git-extras
k4rthik/git-cal
Fakerr/git-recall
arzzen/git-quick-stats.git

Some of the plugins are rather regular Makefile-based projects, like arzzen/git-quick-stats.git. The atclone'', make'', ice modifiers of ZI and hook-build tag of Zplug allow to install and use them. However they're problematic with zgen, which doesn't have such hooks. For it, instead an empty plugin z-shell/null is being loaded in a following way:

…

# git-recall
zgen load z-shell/null null.plugin.zsh empty-plugin.zsh-13

# git-quick-stats
zgen load z-shell/null null.plugin.zsh empty-plugin.zsh-14

the empty-plugin.zsh-14, etc. is a branch. The file null.plugin.zsh contains only 3 instructions:

0="${${ZERO:-${0:#$ZSH_ARGZERO}}:-${(%):-%N}}"
0="${${(M)0:#/*}:-$PWD/$0}"
true

this way a little balance is introduced into the test. IMO it's a good lower boundary for the comparison – to have zgen only clone and load an almost empty plugin instead of setting up a PATH for a command-like plugin, especially because of the way that zgen works – by storing a plain source commands and not executing any code.

This however puts zgen on an overall better position, also because it has to clone an almost empty repository and not a full project, so also the installation-time test is biased. However, it's hard to address this without simplifying the test because of limited zgen functionality. Also, zgen doesn't run the compilation (i.e. make) during the installation of the plugins.

Zplug and ZI tests are rather identical (zshrc for Zplug, zshrc for ZI).

The three different ZI results needs explaining:

1. ZI light – plugins are being loaded without tracking, i.e.: cannot be unloaded and their reports are being empty.

2. ZI load – plugins are being loaded with tracking, i.e.: are available for unload and their report data is gathered (available through zi report {plugin-name} command).

3. ZI (Turbo) load – plugins are being loaded with tracking and in Turbo mode – i.e.: in background & after prompt – the shell is instantly ready to use.