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From: dbuck@superior.carleton.ca (Dave Buck)
Subject: Re: Smalltalk vs C vs C++ benchmark results
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References: <DEDsF1.3I8@cunews.carleton.ca> <42otu5$aag@aadt.sdt.com> <DEM9Jn.HwD@cunews.carleton.ca> <431mv6$516@aadt.sdt.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 23:35:51 GMT
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In article <431mv6$516@aadt.sdt.com>, Larry E. Baker <leb@sdt.com> wrote:
>dbuck@superior.carleton.ca (Dave Buck) wrote:
>>In article <42otu5$aag@aadt.sdt.com>, Larry E. Baker <leb@sdt.com> wrote:
>>>Final Comment: if you want to compare apples to apples, WRT C++,
>>>C, and FORTRAN [ ...some detailed notes, go see the original posting]
>
>>Of course the result of such a test shows you nothing about the object
>>oriented nature of C++.
>
>It's not intended to.  I was only trying to point out some of the
>differences between the languages, and to show a way to compare them
>on a level playing field.
>

To be honest, my comments were a bit tongue in cheek.  It is
difficult, however, to compare different systems when the style of
development is so different between them.  If you need pure raw speed,
Smalltalk probably isn't the answer.  You need a language that allows
you to get as close as possible to the underlying machine
architecture.  Assembler is ideal, Fortran is good, C and C++ are ok
so long as you keep it simple.  The real challenge comes in when you
reach the maintenance stage.  Trying to extend such a system can be
extremely difficult.  That's where OO techniques come in handy at the
expense of runtime performance.

I really don't want to get involved in a language war.  All I want to
say is that Smalltalk's performance isn't bad compared to C++
performance trying to do the same thing.

David Buck
dbuck@ccs.carleton.ca
_________________________________
| David K. Buck                 |
| dbuck@ccs.carleton.ca         |
| The Object People             |
|_______________________________|

