Re: sub-optimal code for packed boolean arrays -- bug or inherent limitation

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>]

Alinabi <alexander.the.average@gmail.com> writes:

> I don't know much (if anything) about compiler internals, so I was
> wondering if I should file a bug report.

Well, it's not quite a bug, but there's no harm in sending an
"enhancement request" to AdaCore.  We might do something about it.

I would like to see operations on packed arrays of Booleans be as
efficient as similar operations on modular/unsigned integers.

>... Is there some good
> theoretical justification for all that extraneous shifts and
> rotations? I would think that if the compiler can figure out the best
> way to set or clear a bit in a register using shift and logical ops,
> than it should also be able to negate it efficiently.

Yes, it could.

- Bob