Re: Using Global Variables

[eachus@mitre-bedford.arpa (Robert I. Eachus)]

In article <16864C1E7.M19481@mwvm.mitre.org> M19481@mwvm.mitre.org writes:

  > The main reason I've heard used to justify the use of global variables is
  > performance of a real-time system.  The argument goes that the overhead of
  > parameter passing is just too high to meet the performance requirements on
  > the target machine (which cannot be changed), hence global variables.  Now
  > you may argue that the target machine should have been chosen more wisely,
  > or the choice delayed until after the software was totally developed so as
  > to be able to pick the right size machine -- but I imagine that that's what
  > Mr. Goffin had in mind when he used the term "real world."

  Next time some know-nothing tells you this, throw some benchmarks at
him.  In most modern architectures with most good compilers references
to local variables and parameters are much faster than global memory
references.  The only time it is faster to use a global instead of a
parameter is when the parameter is referenced less than once per
call...

--

					Robert I. Eachus

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