Remix.run Logo
Remix clone Hacker News
new | show | ask | jobsGithub
▲ account42 10 hours ago

Low level code can and should use assembly to get the precise effect they desire in these cases.

▲echoangle 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Why not just allow infinite loops instead of having me write assembly for it though?

▲account42 10 hours ago | parent [-]

Because a compiler being allowed to assume that a loop always terminates gives it more room to optimize the 99% of loops that aren't supposed to run until the heat death of the universe.

▲echoangle 10 hours ago | parent [-]

Or you could just detect while loops with constant condition (like the C standard) and not touch any programs that don't exhibit UB while allowing infinite loops for other use cases at zero runtime cost and negligible compile cost.

▲mdspan 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That would be pretty cumbersome though. If you're targeting N different architectures, you would have to write N different assembly blocks.

▲rcxdude 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I shouldn't need to drop to assembly to get an infinite loop that works!