On Sat, 14 Dec 1996 21:28:46 -0800, Dale Thorn wrote:

...

Averaging several runs: "C": 102,300 crypts/sec ASM: 238,000 crypts/sec

Someone on this list should know if it is possible to maximize speed in a typical 'C' routine, using Register variables (particularly for loops), inlining everything possible, etc., to get executable code much closer than a factor of 2x difference. Can it be done on a PC, and how hard would it be to explain, to cover a representative variety of techniques?

A good optimizing compiler comes _close_ to hand coded, especially with the many new concerns on Pentium+ processors (pipeline optimization, fpu tricks, etc). # Chris Adams <adamsc@io-online.com> | http://www.io-online.com/adamsc/adamsc.htp # <cadams@acucobol.com> | send mail with subject "send PGPKEY" "That's our advantage at Microsoft; we set the standards and we can change them." --- Karen Hargrove, Microsoft (quoted in the Feb 1993 Unix Review editorial)