Re: Use pragma INLINE or not?

[eachus@largo.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)]

In article <1991Jun18.171459.11744@software.org> stluka@neptune.software.org (Fred Stluka) writes:

   About the use of pragma INLINE...There seem to be 2 schools of
thought, what do you think?

   Pragmas are supposed to be advice to the compiler, and a good
compiler should NOT ingnore that advice.  But there are actually two
separate cases, and I get frustrated by compilers which try to "help"
me when it is inappropriate.

   If a procedure or function call is internal to the unit which
defines that subprogram, compilers should inline when obviously
beneficial, and inline in all cases if the programmer requests it.
(Yes, that includes subprograms which may call themselves directly or
indirectly, inline the original call and generate explicit call where
necessary for recursion.  In cases of indirect recursion, a programmer
can use pragma INLINE to help the compiler decide where explicit calls
should be put.)

   However when a call is to a subprogram exported by another library
unit, a compiler should not inline absent an explicit pragma, since
the programmer may not want the extra dependencies created.

   My usual style is to put a commented out pragma INLINEs in the
package specs if I want inlining in the final version, and remove the
comments only for major builds or for a final version.  A compiler
option to ignore pragma INLINE would be nice, but very tricky to
implement usefully except on a per library basis.  As it is, the
uncommenting is just one of many automatic steps in the process of
doing a build.
--

					Robert I. Eachus

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