DOS ain't dead

FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? (Developers)

posted by roytam, 04.01.2022, 03:50

> > > Since FreeDOS kernel and/or FreeCOM supports different C compilers, I
> > > wonder if there is a comparison for those compilers for compiling
> > > FreeDOS/FreeCOM?
> >
> > smallest code usually Watcom, gcc similar, Turbo ~15% larger.
> >
> > however UPX compresses Turbo code better, so often the binary is
> smaller.
> >
> > of course this depends a lot on
> >
> > a) the amount of runtime library pulled in by your code
> > b) the memory model
> > c) CPU type
> > d) calling conventions
> > e) the kind of code that you wrote (watcom optimizer optimizes much
> better
> > then turbo)
> >
> > so you have to do your own experiments.
>
> IMO,
>
> Way back when storage space was very expensive, file size was quite
> important.
>
> However, now that storage space is 'dirt cheap'... file size is pretty-much
> irrelevant.
>
> It's the actual efficiency of operation of the resulting binary that
> matters most.
> (speed, memory usage, etc...)

totally agreed, and this is what I really asked for originally.

Complete thread:

• FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - roytam, 03.01.2022, 09:44 (Developers)
  • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - Guti, 03.01.2022, 15:34
  • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - tom, 03.01.2022, 16:10
    • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - glennmcc, 03.01.2022, 17:58
      • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - roytam, 04.01.2022, 03:50
      • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - RayeR, 04.01.2022, 05:38
        • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - marcov, 04.01.2022, 11:04
      • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - Ringding, 04.01.2022, 12:13
        • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - bretjohn, 04.01.2022, 18:12
    • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - marcov, 04.01.2022, 23:21
      • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - tom, 04.01.2022, 23:55
      • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - RayeR, 06.01.2022, 03:27
        • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - Oso2k, 06.01.2022, 04:27
          • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - tkchia, 06.01.2022, 14:29
            • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - RayeR, 07.01.2022, 04:33
              • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - roytam, 07.01.2022, 15:30
                • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - RayeR, 07.01.2022, 18:56
                  • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - andrewbird, 07.01.2022, 19:38
                  • FreeDOS/FreeCOM: which compiler produces smallest binary? - tom, 08.01.2022, 22:33