From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2006-07-27T10:50:32+09:00
Subject: Re: For performance, write it in C

On Thu, Jul 27, 2006 at 10:35:52AM +0900, Keith Gaughan wrote:
> 
> Actually, the part that counts, calculation engine, comes in two
> varieties: a slow but provably correct version, and a fast, highly
> optimised version, a significant portion of which is written _assembly
> language_. MS use a battery of regression tests to ensure that the fast
> one always gives the same results as the slow one.

That might be the "part that counts" (nice pun) for calculation, but
it's not the only part that counts.  Interface rendering, interactive
operations, and so on are also fairly important performance-wise -- at
least to the user.  In fact, calculation waits can be easier to overlook
as a user than waits for the application to catch up when you click on a
button.

On the other hand, if we were specifically referring to things like
column calculation speed (of which I wasn't strictly aware), then your
point is made.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
"Real ugliness is not harsh-looking syntax, but having to
build programs out of the wrong concepts." - Paul Graham