Fwd: Re: [Shootout-list] Science-related benchmarks (speed optimisation)

[skaller]

On Wed, 2005-04-27 at 16:11, Bengt Kleberg wrote:

> the shootout has a policy of allowing different compile, and start-up, 
> switches for different tests.
> this does not figure prominently in the faq, and should.

Alternative, the rule should be changed.
I favour that. 

gcc  and gcc -O3 are completely distinct language
translators from a Standards conformance testing
viewpoint. You're comparing apples and oranges
if you allow gcc with different memory models, etc,
for each test. 

If you just want to measure 'C', with the best tool,
then only one of Intel C and gcc compilers should be
allowed for any particular test. After all, the main
difference is in the optimising behaviour of the 
back ends, which varies far more by switches on one
tool than between the tools .. OS ABI's ensure that
this must be the case on many systems (such as
C++ ABI for Solaris).

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