RE: [Caml-list] Converting variants with only constant constructors to integers

["David Allsopp" <dra-news@metastack.com>]

Luc Maranget wrote:
> > Luc Maranget wrote:
> > > Of course, if you have the following:
> > > >
> > > > type t = A | B | C
> > > > let int_of_t = function
> > > >   A -> 0
> > > > | B -> 1
> > > > | C -> 2
> > > >
> > > > Then in fact I believe that the compiler already converts that to
> > > > a hashtable lookup instead of a sequence of jumps..
> > >
> > > The compiler does not convert the above code to 'hashtable lookup'.
> >
> > Is there a point where the compiler does do a table lookup for matches
> > rather than jumps or have I clearly just dreamt that? :o)
> >
> >
> > David
> 
> As far as I know the compiler always output jumps for matches.
> 
> Those jumps can be conditional jumps, or indirect jumps.
> For instance in the case of your code, ther will be two condional jumps
> (ocamlopt)
> 
> With a bigger example, say
> | A -> 0
> ...
> 
> | Z -> 25
> 
> It is likely that you get a table of addresses indexed by constructor
> numbers.

I think that's probably what I was getting muddled with - I didn't realise
that the compiler doesn't do that all the time for constant constructors,
though.


David