Re: BDS2006 exe sizes


"Ian" <ian610@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:DebLf.5235$bV4.2988@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 04:31:02 GMT, Rob Kennedy wrote:

Why is a "hello world" program a meaningful benchmark?

Good question, and I'm going to try to answer it the best way I can.

A "Hello World" program is usually the norm for testing out various
compilers for all types of programming languages, and for starting out
learning a new programming language. It probably dates back to the
1970s when K&R used it as an introductory program in their book "The C
Programming Language". A hello world program is one of the smallest
programs one can use to see how large of an executable the compiler
will produce from that source. As soon as I get my hands on a new
compiler, the first thing I do is test it out using a simple "Hello
World" (or just a bare-bone skeleton program) with disabled Debug info,
Range checks, etc. If the compiler produces a large executable from
such a simple program as those, then they aren't efficient enough in my
book.

In D5 its 41KB.

A 'Hello World' program is not one of the smallest programs one can write.
It is no measure of compiler efficiency. The only reason it is often used
as an introduction is because its generally very simple to write and it
produces immediate gratification. I.E. it puts something on the screen.

Judging the worth of a compiler by the size of the executable it generates
for a very simple program is wrong headed. It does not take into account
any significant features a development system may offer. Nor is it a
measure of how efficient developed applications may be. When all is said
and done, except in the most extreme cases, quality of design,
implementation algorithms, speed and accurracy of developement, and ease of
maintenance will always be more important than compiler efficiency.

As in other areas of human endevor its not size that matters, its how you
use it. :)


.

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