From: Jason Grosland <jcg3@cs.duke.edu>
  To  : 
  Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 22:03:56 -0500

Re: optimization

On 8 Mar 1999, Garrett Mitchener wrote:

> Note that sometimes -O2 breaks otherwise okay code because of bugs in
> GCC.  Sometimes it causes the infamous "internal compiler error."
> That's why you must develop your program without it first.

The thing with optimizations is this.  If it is 100% effective, and always
works, it will be part of the compiler by default (unless it causes a
significant time hit for compilation).  The more bizarre and tweaked out
your code is, the more likely that optimizations could break it (in my
experience).  

Even taking out the -g and -pg should speed up your program a little.
Without debugging code and profiling code, your executable will be
smaller, which means it should load more quickly...  every little bit
counts.

When considering speed, though, I remember something that Professor
Astrachan used to say:  Make it run, make it right, make it fast, make it
small.  Do it in that order.  Speed isn't going to count for anything
unless your program performs properly.

-Jason