[ale] gcc

[Thompson Freeman]

Before belly-flopping into the conversation, I should point out that I am
not a programmer 8-/.

On Wed, 3 Apr 2002, Bao C. Ha wrote:

> Hi Danny,
>  
> > 	I don't know about this specific example, but gcc has 
> > plenty of smarts
> > in optimizing code.  Common sub-expressions, loop-invariants, 
> > and simple
> > things like multiplying/dividing by a constant power of 2 are 
> > all taken
> > care of.
> 
> Gcc is very advanced.  As you have mentioned, it will use the
> compiler optimization techniques that unravel and reorder the
> codes for better performance.  The only issue is the the
> bloated code size.
> 
> The processor technology has moved more toward RISC.  I don't
> know how many people can actually do proper assembler with the
> Pentium and above architecture.  A compiler has plenty of 
> know-hows to optimize and to reorder the code sequences to keep
> the pipelines fill all of the time.
> 
> I think it is a myth that assembler language is faster.  But 
> in my retarded mind, C is basically just a machine-non-specific
> assembler language.

I'm not so sure "retarded" is applicable here. If memory serves on two
very old points: 1) Kernegan & Richie (sp?) considered C a "portable
assembler language" 2) C maps very closely to the old PDP-11 assembler.

C is capable of being quite portable, and C is not that appreciably
different than a non-portable assembler.

YMMV of course.


> 
> Bao
> 
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-- 
===========================================
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
                    Lee Iacocca
===========================================
Thompson Freeman          tfreeman at intel.digichem.net


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