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Terje Mathisen <terje.mathisen@tmsw.no> writes:

[C vs assembly]

> For near-light-speed code I used to write it first in C, optimize
> that, then I would translate it into (inline) asm and re-optimize
> based on having the full cpu architecture available, before in the
> final stage I would use the asm experience to tweak the C just
> enough to let the compiler generate machine code quite close
> (90+%) to my best asm, while still being portable to any cpu with
> more or less the same capabilities.
>
> One example:  When I won an international competition to write the
> fastest Pentomino solver (capable of finding all 2339/1010/368/2
> solutions of the 6x10/5x12/4x15/3x20 layouts), I also included the
> portable C version.
>
> My asm submission was twice as fast as anyone else, while the C
> version was still fast enough that a couple of years later I got a
> prize in the mail:  Someone in France had submitted my C code,
> with my name & address, to a similar competition there and it was
> still faster than anyone else. :-)

I hope you will consider writing a book, "Writing Fast Code" (or
something along those lines).  The core of the book could be, oh,
let's say between 8 and 12 case studies, starting with a problem
statement and tracing through the process that you followed, or
would follow, with stops along the way showing the code at each
of the different stages.

If you do write such I book I guarantee I will want to buy one.