Stop using "Int" for microsecond delays in "base"

Evan Laforge qdunkan at gmail.com
Wed Mar 30 19:56:12 CEST 2011


> Maybe, we should stop using Int altogether. Why not use Integer if we
> want integers, and try to implement Integer and its operations more
> efficiently? Int8, Int16, Int32, and Int64 are good when doing system
> programming, CInt is good when interfacing with C, but what is Int good
> for?

It's good for big data structures since it can be unpacked into the
constructor.  I've seen space usage go down by 1/3 after an Integer ->
Int switch.  Integer is a sum type so there's an extra two words of
overhead (if not mistaken, one for the tag, and one for the
indirection since it can't unpack).



More information about the Libraries mailing list