Re: Compile speed: Pascal(Delphi) vs C++

On 2003-11-11, Chavoux <Chavoux@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> A question: my brother wrote the same programme (fairly large and
> using database and networking) in both Delphi and Borland C Builder.
> Apparantly the C Builder version took huge ammounts of time to
> compile. (So much so that he switched back to rewriting everything in
> Delphi).


A similar question has already been on this list before, see
http://compilers.iecc.com/comparch/article/02-07-128


Traditionally there are four reasons, though some of these don't apply to
this case:


- C/C++ parses slower than Pascal in theory. This is effect negiable
- The unit system vs headers. Lucian already answered that adequately
- (when compared to Turbo Pascal), TP optimizes hardly, optimizing also
      costs time. This should matter much in this case, since BCB++ and Delphi
      should be in the same league. This is what our moderator meant
      I guess.
- (when comparing a Borland (or compatible) pascal compiler to GNU gcc), the
        gcc build process is quite involved, with external preprocessors,
        linkers etc. This should not be underestimated, see the above thread for
        more info.


I think the problem in this case (BCB++ vs Delphi) is still the unit
system, despite BC++ already contains a lot more handling to speed it
up, unless the BC++ also calls external tools, which seriously I
doubt.


> [It entirely depends on how the compiler's designed. Turbo C was very
> fast but did only modest amounts of optimization. It looks like later
> versions stopped paying attention to compile speed and concentrated on
> optimizing. -John]


Delphi and BCB++ should optimize in the same magnitude.

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