Write Great Code, Volume 2

Chapter 6. Tools for Analyzing Compiler Output

In order to write great code, you’ve got to recognize the difference between programming language sequences that just do their job and those that do a great job. In the context of our discussion, great code sequences use fewer instructions, fewer machine cycles, or less memory than mediocre code sequences. If you’re working in assembly language, the CPU manufacturers’ data sheets and a bit of experimentation are all you need to determine which code sequences are great and which are not. When working with HLLs, however, you need some way to map the high-level language statements in a program to the corresponding ...