Re: [boost] [function] function wrapping with noexceptionsafetyguarantee

Subject: Re: [boost] [function] function wrapping with noexceptionsafetyguarantee
From: Domagoj Saric (dsaritz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-10-23 14:59:18

"Doug Gregor" <doug.gregor_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:AANLkTimkWbdBaTe_4+uF4fDLcdC0yUgQ-c7eOKs_dryK_at_mail.gmail.com...
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Daniel Walker
> <daniel.j.walker_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> There would need to be a different "empty"
>> vtable each time boost::function is instantiated with a different call
>> signature, so that the "empty" vtable can be used seamlessly by
>> operator() for any call signature.
>
> One per boost::function signature, yes.

Actually, vtables are statically allocated one per "boost::function<> 
signature + target function object type" combination. The consequence of 
this is that if you assign a target to a b.function that has the same type 
as the on-empty-handler target there is/will be no (static space) 
overhead...
The more different types of targets you assign to a b.function the 
additional overhead of an on-empty-handler target (if any as explained 
above) becomes relatively smaller and smaller...

Moreover, even the above is almost irrelevant considering that:
- the cdecl calling convention enables you to have a single throw-on-empty 
target vtable per binary/for all boost::function<> instantiations
- the static overhead of two pointers is truly insignificant compared to 
other (unnecessary) code-bloat overheads inherent to the current 
implementation (including the usually inlined if-empty-then-throw code)...

For example, in my implementation the vtable has four pointers but, in 
comparison to the improvements in both code size and code speed that this 
change made possible, this overhead is hardly worth noting (in fact it can 
hardly be called real overhead if it enables the reduction of the overhead 
of boost::function<> as a whole)...

-- 
"What Huxley teaches is that in the age of advanced technology, spiritual
devastation is more likely to come from an enemy with a smiling face than
from one whose countenance exudes suspicion and hate."
Neil Postman