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Subject: Re: Why idempotent?

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 18:06:26 02/14/00

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On February 14, 2000 at 20:47:20, Sanjiv Karnataki wrote:

>On February 14, 2000 at 17:00:52, Dann Corbit wrote:
>
>>I compile this:
>>/*
>>** This strange little beastie has only one purpose:
>>** To allow the compiler to inline like a madman.
>>*/
>>#include "search.c"
>>#include "board.c"
>>#include "data.c"
>>#include "eval.c"
>>#include "main.c"
>Hi,
>
>I didn't really understand this post. Could someone please explain:
>
>a) the term idempotent as it applies to compilers etc. in this context

It means that an include file only appears once, no matter how many times you
reference it -- that time being the first one.  So if I do this:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
it is the same this as this:
#include <stdio.h>

>b) why is this method of including all c files into a single file better?
It's something that is helpful for some compilers that can only inline functions
that they can see and allows for a few somewhat better optimizations.

For some really good compilers it is a waste of time.

>Thank you
>
>Sanjiv.



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