Talk:Optimizing C++

[edit] Motivation

Here I would like to explain why I felt there was a need for a new book about C++ optimization.

I have read many books, articles, and blogs about C++ optimization, but most had one or more of the following shortcomings:

Too unhelpful. Many advices were like "avoid this feature", without specifying exactly when such a feature was avoidable, and, mainly, without specifying what could replace such a feature.
Too low level. Many advices were actually advices for a compiler writer, as they delved into compiler optimization technology, that are of little interest to a typical C++ programmer.
Too high level. Many advices were about computational complexity, just classifying algorithms according their asymptotic time, with big-O notation.
Too compiler dependent. Many advices were compiler specific.
Too operating system dependent. Many advices were operating system specific.
Too hardware dependent. Many advices were hardware specific.
Too little distinction between design-time and optimization-time. Few advices specified if they were to applied when the application was designed and coded, or at a specific optimization stage.

--Carlo.milanesi (talk) 19:34, 1 June 2008 (UTC)