Re: High Level Language vs Assembly

> When I took a compiler class in Grad School, my professor was
>adamant about the efficiency of code produced by new high level
>language compilers. He stated that a human assembly language writer
>was no longer able to compete with these compilers


    I suspect that whether this is true depends on the microprocessor.
    As architectures get more advanced humans have a harder time writing
    efficient code. For example, a compiler should be able to beat a
    human on VLIW code. Or, for that matter, code for the IA64.


    There is also the issue of whether the human assembly programmer
    must beat the compiler in general or for a specific algorithm. For
    small sections of code a human can beat a compiler for processors
    like MIPS or powerPC. A compiler should shine over larger expanses
    of code as it can use global flow analysis.


    So in summary I don't think that there is an unambiguous answer.

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