Re: Data Structure Reorganizing Optimizations

One point that seems to be missed in this discussion is the target
applications for the language. C was developed to be a systems
applictions language. When I first learned C I used to call it a high
level assembler because of the control it gave you over the machine.
Systems programmers often perform hand optimizations of code and memory.
It allows you the power to express what you need.


Portability was also supposed to be a feature of C. To a great extent it
has succeeded in this. (note the wide spread availability of the GNU OS
and tools). This feature is not entirely free, but it is doable.


Now arguing that structure field rearrangement could make processor memory
management task easier is nice, but you haven't clearly demonstrated a
benefit. If the source code needs fields in particular locations, the
optimization of rearrangement will break the application. If the locations
are not important, the application programmer may have already hand
optimized the structure, so how much better is the compiler going to do
this???




Basically my argument is that you should pick the proper tool for the task
at hand. If you are doing systems programming, then use C. If application
programming, then PASCAL or a modern version of BASIC. If realtime
programming, use Ada or C. If embedded systems, then assembler or C.


This feature seems like a good thing to have in a language like BASIC.


Ed Prochak email: edprochak@aol.com
--

Return to the comp.compilers page.
Search the comp.compilers archives again.