From: Thomas Enebo <Thomas.Enebo@...>
Date: 2008-12-21T01:33:17+09:00
Subject: [ruby-core:20722] Re: [Feature #905] Add String.new(fixnum) to preallocate large buffer

Roger Pack wrote:
>> Hard to do, since it has to be a hash on the callee side. Constructing the
>> hash could perhaps be delayed, in case the callee was a C function, but it
>> still has to be something. In comparison, new(1000) is almost free.
>>     
>
> I suppose a clever implementation could optimize that out.
> -=R
>
>   
HEH.  So using this logic we have never had a clever implementation of 
Ruby.  Should I laugh or cry? :)

Actually, since the syntax of a hash on the end of a method it is at 
least possible we could modify the grammar to do something special on 
the front-end (call-side).  Then call a special signature on the backend 
for this hash-called method signature.   For regular Ruby-defined 
methods with hash on the end we construct the hash and pass it as an 
ordinary argument.  For our internally implemented methods (Java) we 
could pass as a special signature.  The C impl maybe could do something 
similiar.  Just trying to be clever.  I think this would be almost 
impossible on a Ruby implemented method.  It would require dynamic 
profiling at best.

-Tom