Re: [boost] Threads: Updated Win32_thread.zip

From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-09-12 13:55:27

From: William Kempf <sirwillard_at_[hidden]>
> I've updated the Win32 implementation again.  This version was 
> compiled with gcc (using Dev-C++ IDE, which I *think* uses mingwin), 
> so the code is closer to ANSI compliant.  Other than that, the 
> implementation is the same.
> 
> Included is a test harness for doing speed comparisons of Win32 
> critical sections, Win32 mutexes and the libraries implementation of 
> mutex.  The results of the timings (one run, so give or take some):
> 
> Compiled with VC++
>    boost::mutex was 5.68 x faster than Win32 mutex
>    boost::mutex was 9.93 x slower than Win32 critical section
> Compiled with gcc
>    boost::mutex was 2.63 x faster than Win32 mutex
>    boost::mutex was 18.03 x slower than Win32 critical section
> 
> I assume the terrible results using gcc can be attributed to my 
> ignorance of the compiler.  Having no idea what the command line 
> options are I assume there were no optimizations used by the 
> compiler.  If anyone knows of a windows .hlp file for gcc available 
> on the net, I'd appreciate an e-mail.  If I'm going to work on Boost 
> libraries, I think it's time I became familiar with a more compliant 
> compiler such as gcc.

In my experience last spring, the GCC 2.95 compiler did a bad
job of generating Pentium code.