C++ and C

[Kipp Hickman]

We did some performance tests with C++, running the most recent version of
the dhyrstone tests through the C++ compiler.  The results were identical
to the standard C numbers.  We even tweaked the tests to use C++ language
features and were able to improve the numbers.

The trick with C++ is to use it "effectively".  There are pieces of your
code that aren't performance critical - you can use C++ fully here, without
worry.  Other sections of your code will be highly critical - use C++, but
use it carefully, so that it is generating the same old fast C code.  A good
thing to avoid if you have a performance critical section is subroutines.
(this is true for C too) The mips compilers will optimize the #@$(&#@&$
out of the code, as long as a subroutine isn't called (that way it knows
it can safely put memory cells into registers, etc.).

Hope this helps.

					kipp hickman
					silicon graphics inc.