VB6 Compiler

[DDStriker]

Is there any other compilers for visual basic source code that is faster?

like i know all languages get compiled down to binary files and executed/translated into machine language so wouldn't it be possible to have a different compiler that could optimize the code a bit better?

[fAlCoNNiAn]

what exactly are you trying to do? make the code/program faster? make the exe smaller?

[DDStriker]

Faster. I'm not exactly fussed since i can program in both VB and C++ but yeah this was just a thought

The VB Compiler seems to be using a generic set of instructions which is slower then what say c++ would do for the same task

IE. Adding 5 to a number a million times is alot slower to do in VB then it is in C++

however its the same task why can't the compiler optimize it a bit more? vb/c++ code don't "look" that different

long temp = 0;

temp++;

-------------------

Dim temp as long

temp = temp + 1

[cx323]

i'm not sure if this would speed up your example, but this makes vb6 programs smaller and somewhat faster, still nowhere near the speeds of c++ though.

Take compiler (cl.exe) and linker (link.exe) (and their configuration files) from Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003

Backup cl.exe and LINK.exe in you're vb6 directory

Overwrite them with the one's from c++

[John Veteran]

I would focus on making your code faster rather than using compiler optimizations to enhance slow code. That will get you the best results possible without switching to another language (like c++).

[Rudy]

unfortunatly C++ will pretty much always be faster at doing the same task as VB. VB is meant to be easy at the expense of efficiency

[The2]

  cx323 said:

i'm not sure if this would speed up your example, but this makes vb6 programs smaller and somewhat faster, still nowhere near the speeds of c++ though.

Take compiler (cl.exe) and linker (link.exe) (and their configuration files) from Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003

Backup cl.exe and LINK.exe in you're vb6 directory

Overwrite them with the one's from c++

Can you explain this a bit more? You tried this? Any more detailed instructions how to do it?! Thanx!

[DDStriker]

  Quote

I would focus on making your code faster rather than using compiler optimizations to enhance slow code. That will get you the best results possible without switching to another language (like c++).

I aim in creating highly efficient code just i feel that for code i use in vb thats almost exactly the same in c++ should be if not the same speed since its not any easier then c++

  Rudy said:

unfortunatly C++ will pretty much always be faster at doing the same task as VB. VB is meant to be easy at the expense of efficiency

as i said if they are doing virtually the same task i feel the compiler should compile them the same way

  Quote

i'm not sure if this would speed up your example, but this makes vb6 programs smaller and somewhat faster, still nowhere near the speeds of c++ though.

Take compiler (cl.exe) and linker (link.exe) (and their configuration files) from Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003

Backup cl.exe and LINK.exe in you're vb6 directory

Overwrite them with the one's from c++

This could be interesting i'll try it out ^_^

[John Veteran]

  DDStriker said:

I aim in creating highly efficient code just i feel that for code i use in vb thats almost exactly the same in c++ should be if not the same speed since its not any easier then c++

as i said if they are doing virtually the same task i feel the compiler should compile them the same way

Unfortunately, you have to live with the language's shortcomings as much as its strengths. I can whine and complain that my car doesn't have 600 HP and go 0-60 in 3 seconds, but that won't change anything. The simple fact is that my car can't do that, and never will.

If you want the fastest app possible, write all your code in assembly (Y) Guaranteed to be as fast or faster (if you know what you're doing and can impliment all of the optimizations used by compilers of other languages) than any other language.

[DDStriker]

  John said:

Unfortunately, you have to live with the language's shortcomings as much as its strengths. I can whine and complain that my car doesn't have 600 HP and go 0-60 in 3 seconds, but that won't change anything. The simple fact is that my car can't do that, and never will.

If you want the fastest app possible, write all your code in assembly (Y) Guaranteed to be as fast or faster (if you know what you're doing and can impliment all of the optimizations used by compilers of other languages) than any other language.

Sounds good :D

sort of off topic here but im just wondering if i implement MMX functions in my code for an Intel Processor..what happens when its executed on a processor without MMX Support? can i have a statement that checks if its supported and if not use different code?

[John Veteran]

I don't know anything about coding in assembly. That's why I (and so many others) use high-level languages like c++ and let the compiler worry about that stuff for me :D