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Groups > comp.lang.c > #92058

Re: High level C

From raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos)
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: High level C
Date 2016-08-10 12:42 +0000
Organization Go wash your mouth.
Message-ID <57ab1ea0.6353656@news.xs4all.nl> (permalink)
References (7 earlier) <kfnvazlnb8l.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <579e0bce.8242578@news.xs4all.nl> <kfn60rlmpzv.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <57a1ebcd.5945000@news.xs4all.nl> <kfna8gri5rj.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu>

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Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:

> raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) writes:
> 
> > I think it's silly because I've never written code where memory
> > management _could_ increase production by that much.  _Resource_
> > management, yes, perhaps.  But if you let GC demolish your structures
> > without handling all the insignificant details like, oh, closing files,
> > committing databases, and so on, you're in for a lot of pain and lost
> > data;  whereas if you _do_ take good care of all your resources, mere
> > memory management is just one among many details, and not even the most
> > onerous.

> I understand you believe all this to be true.  But until you have
> tried an alternate mode, how do you know what the results will
> actually be?  Is there any experiential evidence you can offer,
> or is it all just supposition?

Well, it's the same reaction I have when people claim that I should
replace the sugar in my cooking with Stevia because that'll cut the
calories in half at least and miraculously make me much healthier. Yes,
they might have a point if I were baking a cake, but I'm cooking sambal
goreng hati, and the sugar is a teaspoon at most of gula jawa. There
isn't enough sugar in the first place that replacing it _could possibly_
make much of a difference, and the taste _will_ be different because it
isn't refined sugar.
Similarly in my code: there just isn't enough _for_ GC to replace that
it could make that much difference in the first place. And what little
there is, is tightly and automagically coupled to other functions that
_must not_ be removed lest my database gets corrupted. Hell, in the more
trivial of my programs I have so little memory management that replacing
malloc() with GC would be more like replacing the sugar with Stevia in
my boiled eggs...

> Furthermore, the results you expect don't match what has been
> observed experimentally.  In all cases I am aware of where an
> apples-and-apples comparison is done (meaning, no changes to
> the language other than how memory allocation is handled),
> removing the burden of manual memory management gives a
> significant increase in productivity.

Even when there barely is any manual memory management in the first
place? I call shenanigans.

Again, I can see that it would be more important if I wrote code which
repeatedly and nakedly malloc()ed large amounts of data and had to be
careful about free()ing it. Even then I'd prefer to automate it under my
own control rather than trust the GC, but under those circumstances I'd
believe you if you predicted a decent improvement of productivity. Even
then I'd never believe 60 to 100%, but still, 10%, sounds plausible.
But... that's not the kind of code I write. And if it were, I might well
use another language than C.

Richard

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Thread

High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-15 23:36 +0200
  Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-15 15:17 -0700
    Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 09:09 +0200
      Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-17 20:02 -0700
  Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-07-15 15:17 -0700
    Re: High level C fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2016-07-31 23:55 -0700
  Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-15 23:27 +0100
    Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 09:13 +0200
      Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-16 02:07 -0700
        Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 11:07 +0100
          Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-16 03:29 -0700
            Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 13:40 +0100
            Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-17 11:57 +0530
          Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-16 11:30 +0100
            Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-16 03:43 -0700
              Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 13:53 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-16 07:49 -0700
                Re: High level C Jean-Marc Bourguet <jm@bourguet.org> - 2016-07-16 17:08 +0200
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-16 09:09 -0700
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 16:26 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 18:05 +0200
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 20:15 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 23:44 +0200
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-07-23 19:39 +0000
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-23 22:58 +0200
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-07-27 14:52 +0000
                Re: High level C Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2016-07-27 16:29 +0100
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-07-23 19:38 +0000
              Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-16 14:17 +0100
            Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 13:46 +0100
            Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-17 12:05 +0530
              Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-17 11:03 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-17 03:39 -0700
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-17 18:20 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-17 14:00 +0100
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-17 23:13 +0530
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-17 20:14 +0200
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-17 20:14 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-17 20:45 +0100
                Re: High level C Gareth Owen <gwowen@gmail.com> - 2016-07-17 21:00 +0100
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-18 09:48 +0530
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-18 00:55 -0700
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-18 22:25 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-18 11:40 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-18 05:05 -0700
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-18 22:59 +0530
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-18 22:50 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-18 19:07 +0100
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-19 11:53 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 11:15 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 14:00 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 15:01 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 15:26 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 15:57 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 17:13 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 18:14 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 19:20 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 19:46 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-20 02:44 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-20 10:59 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-20 03:07 -0700
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-21 01:44 +0100
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-21 18:58 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-21 17:20 +0100
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-21 20:52 +0100
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-21 21:14 +0100
                Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-07-21 13:23 -0700
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-21 21:50 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-22 12:52 +0200
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-22 04:03 -0700
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-22 23:56 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-22 20:09 +0100
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-22 23:49 +0530
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-22 20:37 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-19 19:16 +0200
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 19:17 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-19 21:07 +0200
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-20 02:36 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-19 07:27 -0700
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-19 16:27 +0100
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-07-19 08:43 -0700
                Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-19 19:14 +0100
                Re: High level C Jean-Marc Bourguet <jm@bourguet.org> - 2016-07-18 10:08 +0200
                Re: High level C Udyant Wig <udyant.wig@gmail.com> - 2016-07-18 23:04 +0530
      Re: High level C Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-16 10:18 +0100
    Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-07-23 19:26 +0000
      Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-25 09:21 -0700
        Re: High level C luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2016-07-25 10:19 -0700
          Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-28 10:31 -0700
            Re: High level C luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2016-07-28 21:13 -0700
              Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-29 09:05 -0700
                Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-07-29 09:30 -0700
                Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-29 10:08 -0700
                Re: High level C Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2016-07-29 17:57 +0000
                Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-07-29 11:50 -0700
              Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-31 07:16 -0700
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-07-31 14:34 +0000
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-31 14:55 -0700
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-08-01 03:10 -0700
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-01 07:40 -0700
                Re: High level C Gareth Owen <gwowen@gmail.com> - 2016-08-01 19:43 +0100
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-01 10:21 -0500
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-08-03 13:14 +0000
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-05 08:40 -0700
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-08-05 09:28 -0700
                Re: High level C fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2016-08-05 09:55 -0700
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-05 15:51 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-05 18:43 +0200
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-05 15:43 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 00:52 +0200
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-08-10 12:42 +0000
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-11 12:24 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-07-31 16:42 +0200
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-31 12:59 -0700
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-07-31 17:12 -0500
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-31 17:12 -0700
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-01 00:54 -0500
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-01 08:08 -0700
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-01 12:58 -0500
                Re: High level C Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2016-08-01 12:25 -0700
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-03 08:44 -0700
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-03 11:56 -0500
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-08-03 19:29 +0200
                Re: High level C "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-08-03 13:45 -0400
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-03 13:23 -0500
                Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-08-03 19:27 +0100
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-08-03 21:04 +0200
                Re: High level C Gareth Owen <gwowen@gmail.com> - 2016-08-03 20:08 +0100
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-03 16:09 -0500
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-03 16:06 -0500
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-08-03 23:36 +0200
                Re: High level C Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2016-08-03 19:44 -0500
                Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-08-03 15:03 -0700
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-04 19:17 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-05 05:48 +0200
                Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-08-05 08:24 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-05 18:30 +0200
                Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-08-05 10:34 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-05 20:50 +0200
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-05 15:39 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 00:50 +0200
                Re: High level C Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2016-08-05 17:08 -0700
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 02:23 +0200
                Re: High level C raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2016-08-06 10:03 +0000
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 12:13 +0200
                Re: High level C "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-08-06 11:10 -0400
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 17:40 +0200
                Re: High level C "James R. Kuyper" <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2016-08-06 11:56 -0400
                Re: High level C Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2016-08-06 17:51 +0200
                Re: High level C supercat@casperkitty.com - 2016-08-08 09:12 -0700
                Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-31 22:07 +0200
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-07-31 15:05 -0700
                Re: High level C Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2016-08-03 11:22 +1200
                Re: High level C Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2016-08-03 08:50 -0700
  Re: High level C BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2016-07-16 01:12 +0100
    Re: High level C Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2016-07-15 20:16 -0400
    Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 09:17 +0200
  Re: High level C Siri Cruise <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2016-07-16 08:20 -0700
    Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-16 17:24 +0200
      Re: High level C Siri Cruise <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2016-07-16 09:24 -0700
  Re: High level C carlglassberg@gmail.com - 2016-07-17 14:15 -0700
  Re: High level C carlglassberg@gmail.com - 2016-07-17 14:22 -0700
    Re: High level C jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2016-07-17 23:58 +0200
  Re: High level C fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2016-08-02 13:20 -0700

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