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A little tiny horror

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Weird and The Wonderful
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  • Q QuiJohn

    I'd have to see more of the code to decide if this really deserves to be a horror. It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code. I'm a much bigger fan of readable code than optimizations with negligible performance improvements. (Not that "2 << i" is that unreadable, but you get the idea.)


    Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency!            -Emily Dickinson

    C Offline
    C Offline
    Chris Maunder
    wrote on last edited by
    #3

    Shift left is way cooler than pow any day. And in the end it's all about how good the code looks, eh? ;)

    cheers, Chris Maunder

    CodeProject.com : C++ MVP

    P P R 3 Replies Last reply
    0
    • Q QuiJohn

      I'd have to see more of the code to decide if this really deserves to be a horror. It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code. I'm a much bigger fan of readable code than optimizations with negligible performance improvements. (Not that "2 << i" is that unreadable, but you get the idea.)


      Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency!            -Emily Dickinson

      R Offline
      R Offline
      Robert Surtees
      wrote on last edited by
      #4

      David Kentley wrote:

      It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code.

      I'm pretty sure pow() only takes and returns doubles which means the original code is casting two ints in and one back out in addition to its internal pow goodness. I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster. :)

      J CPalliniC 2 Replies Last reply
      0
      • G Gary Wheeler

        I found this expression in our current source code:

        int i;
        //...
        (int)pow(2,i)

        This was in code written by a senior developer :wtf:. I replaced it with the following expression:

        (1 << i)

        Software Zen: delete this;

        L Offline
        L Offline
        leppie
        wrote on last edited by
        #5

        Gary Wheeler wrote:

        I replaced it with the following expression:

        And in the process introduced a subtle bug ;P

        xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
        IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

        R G 2 Replies Last reply
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        • L leppie

          Gary Wheeler wrote:

          I replaced it with the following expression:

          And in the process introduced a subtle bug ;P

          xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
          IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

          R Offline
          R Offline
          Robert Rohde
          wrote on last edited by
          #6

          Good catch! I assume you are referring to the different results when having i with values smaller than 0 and bigger than 31... Robert

          L 1 Reply Last reply
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          • G Gary Wheeler

            I found this expression in our current source code:

            int i;
            //...
            (int)pow(2,i)

            This was in code written by a senior developer :wtf:. I replaced it with the following expression:

            (1 << i)

            Software Zen: delete this;

            K Offline
            K Offline
            KarstenK
            wrote on last edited by
            #7

            The code got optimized for readability for the 'junior' programmers. And it has the potential to get easily chanced to (int)pow(3,i). I say this to defend your senior... :-O

            Greetings from Germany

            G 1 Reply Last reply
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            • R Robert Surtees

              David Kentley wrote:

              It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code.

              I'm pretty sure pow() only takes and returns doubles which means the original code is casting two ints in and one back out in addition to its internal pow goodness. I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster. :)

              J Offline
              J Offline
              jhwurmbach
              wrote on last edited by
              #8

              Robert Surtees wrote:

              I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster.

              Which, as was argued here, is very probably of no importance, while the resulting obfuscation of the intent of the calculation is important.

              Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.
              Douglas Adams, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"

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              • Q QuiJohn

                I'd have to see more of the code to decide if this really deserves to be a horror. It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code. I'm a much bigger fan of readable code than optimizations with negligible performance improvements. (Not that "2 << i" is that unreadable, but you get the idea.)


                Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency!            -Emily Dickinson

                G Offline
                G Offline
                Gary Wheeler
                wrote on last edited by
                #9

                The original surrounding code looked something like this:

                for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
                CString name;
                name.Format(_T("Stuff_%d.dat"),(int)pow(2,i));
                };

                Thinking about it, if I wanted to maximize readability, I would have done this:

                int name_value = 1;
                for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
                CString name;
                name.Format(_T("Stuff_%d.dat"),name_value);
                name_value *= 2;
                };

                The only reason I found this is a compiler error in the original (int)pow(2,i) expression from VS2008 (ambiguous override).

                Software Zen: delete this;

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • K KarstenK

                  The code got optimized for readability for the 'junior' programmers. And it has the potential to get easily chanced to (int)pow(3,i). I say this to defend your senior... :-O

                  Greetings from Germany

                  G Offline
                  G Offline
                  Gary Wheeler
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #10

                  KarstenK wrote:

                  defend your senior...

                  Actually, I'm senior to the guy that wrote this. I just thought that the guy should have picked a better way to achieve the desired affect.

                  Software Zen: delete this;

                  L 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • L leppie

                    Gary Wheeler wrote:

                    I replaced it with the following expression:

                    And in the process introduced a subtle bug ;P

                    xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                    IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                    G Offline
                    G Offline
                    Gary Wheeler
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #11

                    Actually not; see my reply above.

                    Software Zen: delete this;

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • R Robert Rohde

                      Good catch! I assume you are referring to the different results when having i with values smaller than 0 and bigger than 31... Robert

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      leppie
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #12

                      Just smaller than 0, but as he is casting to int 31 or above could be a problem too, not sure if C (which I assume this is) will create a 'long' or 'long long' or whatever they use from the shift. But the result of usage of negative numbers are clear undefined.

                      xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                      IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • G Gary Wheeler

                        KarstenK wrote:

                        defend your senior...

                        Actually, I'm senior to the guy that wrote this. I just thought that the guy should have picked a better way to achieve the desired affect.

                        Software Zen: delete this;

                        L Offline
                        L Offline
                        leppie
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #13

                        Like:

                        int pow(int i, int j)
                        {
                        switch (j)
                        case 0: return 1;
                        case 1: return i;
                        case 2: return i * i;
                        case 3: return i * i * i;
                        case 4: return i * i * i * i;
                        ...
                        }

                        ;P

                        xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                        IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                        CPalliniC T 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • L leppie

                          Like:

                          int pow(int i, int j)
                          {
                          switch (j)
                          case 0: return 1;
                          case 1: return i;
                          case 2: return i * i;
                          case 3: return i * i * i;
                          case 4: return i * i * i * i;
                          ...
                          }

                          ;P

                          xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                          IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                          CPalliniC Online
                          CPalliniC Online
                          CPallini
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #14

                          Nope. You forgot break; statement. Oh pardon, you're senior! :-D

                          If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                          [my articles]

                          In testa che avete, signor di Ceprano?

                          L 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • G Gary Wheeler

                            I found this expression in our current source code:

                            int i;
                            //...
                            (int)pow(2,i)

                            This was in code written by a senior developer :wtf:. I replaced it with the following expression:

                            (1 << i)

                            Software Zen: delete this;

                            CPalliniC Online
                            CPalliniC Online
                            CPallini
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #15

                            Gary Wheeler wrote:

                            This was in code written by a senior developer

                            When seniority approaches retirement... :-D

                            If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                            [my articles]

                            In testa che avete, signor di Ceprano?

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • CPalliniC CPallini

                              Nope. You forgot break; statement. Oh pardon, you're senior! :-D

                              If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                              [my articles]

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              leppie
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #16

                              We break for nothing! :p

                              xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                              IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • Q QuiJohn

                                I'd have to see more of the code to decide if this really deserves to be a horror. It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code. I'm a much bigger fan of readable code than optimizations with negligible performance improvements. (Not that "2 << i" is that unreadable, but you get the idea.)


                                Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency!            -Emily Dickinson

                                CPalliniC Online
                                CPalliniC Online
                                CPallini
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #17

                                David Kentley wrote:

                                Not that "2 << i" is that unreadable, but you get the idea.

                                In fact it isn't unreadable, it is wrong. :-D

                                If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                                [my articles]

                                In testa che avete, signor di Ceprano?

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • J jhwurmbach

                                  Robert Surtees wrote:

                                  I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster.

                                  Which, as was argued here, is very probably of no importance, while the resulting obfuscation of the intent of the calculation is important.

                                  Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.
                                  Douglas Adams, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"

                                  R Offline
                                  R Offline
                                  Robert Surtees
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #18

                                  jhwurmbach wrote:

                                  Robert Surtees wrote: I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster. Which, as was argued here, is very probably of no importance, while the resulting obfuscation of the intent of the calculation is important.

                                  I'd say it's important. Gary's XT doesn't have an 8087 plugged in.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • R Robert Surtees

                                    David Kentley wrote:

                                    It's possible that, as an optimization, "fixing" this has zero impact on real world performance while (slightly) obfuscating the code.

                                    I'm pretty sure pow() only takes and returns doubles which means the original code is casting two ints in and one back out in addition to its internal pow goodness. I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster. :)

                                    CPalliniC Online
                                    CPalliniC Online
                                    CPallini
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #19

                                    Robert Surtees wrote:

                                    I'm pretty sure pow() only takes and returns doubles which means the original code is casting two ints in and one back out in addition to its internal pow goodness. I'm guessing the shift is a wee bit faster.

                                    VC++ compiler is smart enough to implement it using shift instead of pow. Anyway, IMHO shift syntax is far more clean. :)

                                    If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                                    [my articles]

                                    In testa che avete, signor di Ceprano?

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • L leppie

                                      Like:

                                      int pow(int i, int j)
                                      {
                                      switch (j)
                                      case 0: return 1;
                                      case 1: return i;
                                      case 2: return i * i;
                                      case 3: return i * i * i;
                                      case 4: return i * i * i * i;
                                      ...
                                      }

                                      ;P

                                      xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                                      IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                                      T Offline
                                      T Offline
                                      Tim Smith
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #20

                                      int pow(int i, int j) { switch (j) { default: return 0; case 0: return 1; case 32: i *= i; case 31: i *= i; case 30: i *= i; ... case 1: return i; } } .... ewwwww

                                      Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

                                      L CPalliniC 2 Replies Last reply
                                      0
                                      • T Tim Smith

                                        int pow(int i, int j) { switch (j) { default: return 0; case 0: return 1; case 32: i *= i; case 31: i *= i; case 30: i *= i; ... case 1: return i; } } .... ewwwww

                                        Tim Smith I'm going to patent thought. I have yet to see any prior art.

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        leppie
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #21

                                        Even better :p

                                        xacc.ide - now with IronScheme support
                                        IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 1 out now

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • C Chris Maunder

                                          Shift left is way cooler than pow any day. And in the end it's all about how good the code looks, eh? ;)

                                          cheers, Chris Maunder

                                          CodeProject.com : C++ MVP

                                          P Offline
                                          P Offline
                                          peterchen
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #22

                                          words to live code by! :D

                                          We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
                                          My first real C# project | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist

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