John VanSickle wrote:
> It is more precise to say that the lower the level of the code language, 
> the more closely optimum performance can be achieved on a specific 
> hardware platform.

I think that's only true in theory. As in, "anything a computer can 
calculate, a human can calculate too", except that humans make mistakes 
and get bored and can't think fast enough to actually finish the 
calculation before the fly-by-wire unstable jet aircraft plows into the 
mountainside.

Humans are notoriously bad at guessing where the time in their programs 
go, and notoriously bad at keeping track of things like whether the 
value in R147 is going to be needed before the value in R93 is.

And if a compiler already generates optimum code, you obviously can't 
improve on it.

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     Remember the good old days, when we
     used to complain about cryptography
     being export-restricted?

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