Re: What is the disadvantage with C++ in Embedded systems?

Scott Lurndal <scott@slp53.sl.home> wrote:


Using templates can increase the size of the executable beyond what's
absolutely necessary, but they can also actually *decrease* it,
compared to the alternatives. This is because templates allow the
compiler to optimize the code on a type-by-type basis. (Heck, in some
cases the compiler can even optimize portions of the code away, by
evaluating it at compile time and putting just the result in the executable
binary.)

One common problem with templates is that many people get the wrong
impression when they observe how they apparently affect executable
sizes. The problem is that they often, inadvertently, compile with
debug and symbol information, and with templates the symbol names
tend to be larger than with non-templated code (sometimes significantly
larger). Thus such an executable file can be larger when using templates,
until you strip it. But many people don't know this.

If we look at the *actual* executable code that's generated by the
compiler, whether using templates increases, decreases or retains
the size, depends on what you would consider the *alternative* to
templates. If you would need to reuse the same routines with different
types, how would you do it without templates? Depending on your
solution you might actually find that, ironically, your solution
results in a larger (and often slower) binary than with templates.

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