Plea for help: The detriment of using Microsoft products

[Gerry.Feldman at compaq.com (Jerry Feldman)]

Use caution when trying to hand optimize C code. Today, we generally 
have good optimizing compilers, and by trying to play tricks may cause 
your program to run slower. As an example, an old C programmer 
technique of using pointers to loop through an array forces the compiler 
to generate code to dereference the pointer at each iteration. Using 
subscripts allows the compiler to optimize the code better. Compilers do 
things like pull loop invariants out of loops. And on RISC machines 
compilers even analyze the code streams and reorder the instruction 
sequences so that the processor can pipeline more efficiently. 
On 16 May 2000, at 15:59, George Gallen wrote:

> One thing I have found with C, is that at first, get the
> program running, use simple statements and lots o indenting,
> 
> Then once it's running, start modifying it to run faster, by
> trying place multiple operations and using other shortcuts
> which run quicker, make for less code, but make it down right
> obnoxious to debug.
--
Jerry Feldman
Contractor, eInfrastructure Partner Engineering   
508-467-4315 http://www.testdrive.compaq.com/linux/

Compaq Computer Corp.
200 Forest Street MRO1-3/F1
Marlboro, Ma. 01752
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