[fpc-devel] don't you think it'stime toupdatedelphimodecompatibility? - IDispatch, implements

[Jamie McCracken]

Daniël Mantione wrote:
> 
> Op Sat, 29 May 2004, schreef Matthias Hryniszak:
> 
> 
>>In addition comparing the sources of VCL and FCL they
>>don't differ that much and the source isn't that much bigger so by this kind
>>of differences the problem must lie with compiler/linker.
> 
> 
> It *is* the source. The compiler is perfectly capapable of removing unused
> code ust as well as the Delphi compiler. So, if you're pointing at the
> compiler I assume you either have smartlinking disabled or that there is
> debug information in the executable.
> 
> However, not much time has been spent to make sysutils, classes etc.
> smaller. This effort has been done on the system unit in the past, which
> can explain the difference.
> 
> But then again, while I don't use the FCL very much, if have not yet seen
> examples of unacceptable sizes yet.


There are too many variables here to conclude decisively what is causing 
it to be much bigger.

Some things that will affect executable size include:

1) Over zealous use of inlining (I dont see a command option to control 
how much inlining is done)
2) Pascal variables not making efficient use of registers. This causes 
more load/store instructions to be generated than is needed (also 
produces less optimal code!)
3) Delphi includes a fair amount of assembler in its rtl.


You should also compare FPC smartlinking with the equivalent in the Gnu 
linker (dead code elimantion?) to see if there really is a difference.

jamie.


> 
> Daniël
> 
> 
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