[fpc-devel] Optimization for TObject.InheritsFrom (and the 'is' operator)

[Peter Popov]

Even if packages won't work, there is a compromise solution. One can still  
re-arrange the existing hierarchy. The default TObject.InheritsFrom is as  
before - traverses the tree. However, a custom class may use the fact that  
the arrangement is linear. This way, if one has a big custom hierarchy of  
classes in a single-sourced library, then the search can be O(1) within  
the library and O(Depth) outside. If the custom class is near the top of  
the tree, say TPersistent, that the algorithm will be fast

Peter Popov


On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 15:14:56 -0500, Bram Kuijvenhoven  
<kuifwaremailinglists at xs4all.nl> wrote:

> Marco van de Voort wrote:
>>> Peter Vreman wrote:
>>>> There is no garauntee either within a single unit. With forward  
>>>> defined classes you can make any
>>>> order you want.
>>>>
>>>> And relying on order in memory has also problems with shared  
>>>> libraries. afaik there is no rule
>>>> that new libaries are always loaded at larger adresses
>>> Thank you for this information, Peter. I hadn't thought of shared
>>> libraries yet.
>>>
>>> Anyway, as far as I understood shared libraries each have their own  
>>> VMTs,
>>> so you can't compare classes that come from different dll's or the main
>>> executable. Is that correct?
>>  For pure shared libraries yes, for packages no.  For packages, Peter is
>> right.
>>
>>> [...]
>>  Assume everything on the 1st and 2nd level above is in a package A.
>>  Progam B and C both use package A. What do we do about lastinsubtree?
>
> Before I could answer that question, I needed to know a little bit more  
> about packages and of how VMTs are handled in packages. ... Found  
> http://wiki.freepascal.org/packages. So I assume we are talking about  
> 'library packages' here.
>
> If a package is loaded dynamically, the preorder indices in the VMTs  
> would need to be recalculated. If it is loaded statically, the compiler  
> can do the calculation on beforehand. Of course the loading of packages  
> must be done synchronized (in a critical section), but that might  
> already have been the case. Also, it should be made possible to  
> enumerate the VMTs that do reside in a package.
>
> I think this outweighs the performance gain for InheritsFrom (and 'is'  
> and 'as'), and it is most beneficial for applications that do not use  
> packages.
>
>
> BTW does the compiler optimize
>
>   if (obj is TMyObject) then
>     SomeCodeWith(obj as TMyObject)
>
> to
>
>   if (obj is TMyObject)
>     SomeCodeWith(TMyObject(obj))
>
> (under the condition that SomeCodeWith does not change obj.)
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Bram
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