Unnecessary Macros (was Re: Unn

[Dave Jones]

>>In article <23 at datcon.UUCP> sar at datcon.co.uk (Simon A Reap) writes:
>>	z = square(x) + square(y);
> 
>Maybe I'm missing the point, but why does a good old fashion function seem
>to be out of the question.  
> 


It is not out of the question by any means.  It is just that on
some implementations, especially those with hardware integer multiply,
and for some applications, the function call overhead may add
significantly to the execution time.

As has already been pointed out, the "morally correct" way to do it is,

    z = x*x + y*y;

avoiding both the SLM* and the function call.


     *SLM /ess el em/ n.  (comp. acrnm.)  Silly little macro.


P.s.

I attempted to post the following directly to Mr. Reap, but I could
not find a path.

Dear Mr. Reap,

    I hope you are not too put off by any response to your question
    which you may have seen. Most of the programmers here in the 
    U.S. are quite polite and helpful.  A few are not, and the net 
    attracts them. I suspect that most of these fellows have yet to
    hold down a full time programming job producing real products
    which must compete in the marketplace.

    That almost invariably cures such arrogance.  After two or three 
    years, they generally discover, that (1) they are not as good as 
    they thought they were, (2) they are not as good as most of 
    the people who have been doing it longer, and (3) in this 
    business, it is very easy to look like a jerk.

    Please, don't ask me how I know.


                   Best wishes,


                    Dave