[Bf-committers] Re: [Bf-blender-cvs] CVS commit: blender/source/blender/python/api2_2x Mesh.h Mesh.c

[Martin Poirier]

--- Branan Riley <branan at gmail.com> wrote:

> yeah, it would. But it'll actualy run slower, at
> least on an x86 chip.
> A modern Pentium (or Core) is optimized for 32-bit
> numbers, then
> 16-bit, then 8-bit. An 8-bit number which exists
> solely in a function
> will likely be added to the stack - which isn't
> aligned. This will
> slow down all stack operations (which includes
> variable access, and
> function calls - ouch). Not only that, arithmetic
> operations are
> slower on 8-bit numbers. Just go with an int. The
> savings in memory
> aren't worth the slowdown.

Compilers usually make sure alignement is maintained
when possible and when it would make sense to do so on
the target architecture. Hence why I asked if it did
really reduce memory usage (the compiler might have
padded the struct).

Martin

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