Writing Efficient C++ Code (2013)

Opening excerpt

Although high-level languages—scripting, interpreted, or running in a virtual machine—have many advantages and are the best choice for numerous applications, sometimes we need to write code that is as efficient as possible. Choosing a native language such as C++ is not enough. Only some knowledge and familiarity with good practices will let us get the most computing power out of the hardware.

C++ is an unusual language: complex, difficult to master, and controversial in some respects. Yet in many applications, especially where performance matters, such as game programming, it is often the best or even the only choice. This is because it has a unique property that makes it a kind of compromise. It is high-level: it supports object-oriented programming and convenient use or creation of custom types and data structures, such as vectors, strings, and other STL containers. At the same time, it is low-level enough to give us access, in a sense, to the hardware itself, or rather to the operating system: no virtual machine or framework stands in the way.

(Excerpted from the original; full article via the source link below.)

This story hit the Hacker News front page today (121 points / 73 comments, via asawicki.info). Our Tech Radar aggregates daily signals on AI engineering, backend architecture and DevOps — browse the related services and further reading below, or get in touch with our team.