Skip to main content

#ifdef #ifndef in Java


I doubt if there is a way to make compile-time conditions in Java like #ifdef #ifndef in C++.



My problem is that have an algorithm written in Java, and I have different running time improves to that algorithm. So I want to measure how much time I save when each improve is used.



Right now I have a set of boolean variables that are used to decide during the running time which improve should be used and which not. But even testing those variables influences the total running time.



So I want to find out a way to decide during the compilation time which parts of the program should be compiled and used.



Does someone knows a way to do it in Java. Or maybe someone knows that there is no such way (it also would be useful).


Source: Tips4allCCNA FINAL EXAM

Comments

  1. private static final boolean enableFast = false;

    // ...
    if (enableFast) {
    // This is removed at compile time
    }


    Conditionals like that shown above are evaluated at compile time. If instead use use this

    private static final boolean enableFast = "true".equals(System.getProperty("fast"));


    Then any conditions dependent on enableFast will be evaluated by the JIT compiler. The overhead for this is negligible.

    ReplyDelete
  2. javac will not output compiled code that is unreachable. Use a final variable set to a constant value for your #define and a normal if statement for the #ifdef.

    You can use javap to prove that the unreachable code isn't included in the output class file. For example, consider the following code:

    public class Test
    {
    private static final boolean debug = false;

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
    if (debug)
    {
    System.out.println("debug was enabled");
    }
    else
    {
    System.out.println("debug was not enabled");
    }
    }
    }


    javap -c Test gives the following output, indicating that only one of the two paths was compiled in (and the if statement wasn't):

    public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
    Code:
    0: getstatic #2; //Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
    3: ldc #3; //String debug was not enabled
    5: invokevirtual #4; //Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
    8: return

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think that I've found the solution, It's much simpler.
    If I define the boolean variables with "final" modifier Java compiler itself solves the problem. Because it knows in advance what would be the result of testing this condition.
    For example this code:

    boolean flag1 = true;
    boolean flag2 = false;
    int j=0;
    for(int i=0;i<1000000000;i++){
    if(flag1)
    if(flag2)
    j++;
    else
    j++;
    else
    if(flag2)
    j++;
    else
    j++;
    }


    runs about 3 seconds on my computer.
    And this one

    final boolean flag1 = true;
    final boolean flag2 = false;
    int j=0;
    for(int i=0;i<1000000000;i++){
    if(flag1)
    if(flag2)
    j++;
    else
    j++;
    else
    if(flag2)
    j++;
    else
    j++;
    }


    runs about 1 second. The same time this code took

    int j=0;
    for(int i=0;i<1000000000;i++){
    j++;
    }


    EDIT:
    I haven't notified that the answer already appeared during composing this answer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Never used it, but this exists


    JCPP is a complete, compliant,
    standalone, pure Java implementation
    of the C preprocessor. It is intended
    to be of use to people writing C-style
    compilers in Java using tools like
    sablecc, antlr, JLex, CUP and so
    forth. This project has has been used
    to successfully preprocess much of the
    source code of the GNU C library. As
    of version 1.2.5, it can also
    preprocess the Apple Objective C
    library.


    http://www.anarres.org/projects/jcpp/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Use the Factory Pattern to switch between implementations of a class?

    The object creation time can't be a concern now could it? When averaged over a long running time period, the biggest component of time spent should be in the main algorithm now wouldn't it?

    Strictly speaking, you don't really need a preprocessor to do what you seek to achieve. There are most probably other ways of meeting your requirement than the one I have proposed of course.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

[韓日関係] 首相含む大幅な内閣改造の可能性…早ければ来月10日ごろ=韓国

div not scrolling properly with slimScroll plugin

I am using the slimScroll plugin for jQuery by Piotr Rochala Which is a great plugin for nice scrollbars on most browsers but I am stuck because I am using it for a chat box and whenever the user appends new text to the boxit does scroll using the .scrollTop() method however the plugin's scrollbar doesnt scroll with it and when the user wants to look though the chat history it will start scrolling from near the top. I have made a quick demo of my situation http://jsfiddle.net/DY9CT/2/ Does anyone know how to solve this problem?

Why does this javascript based printing cause Safari to refresh the page?

The page I am working on has a javascript function executed to print parts of the page. For some reason, printing in Safari, causes the window to somehow update. I say somehow, because it does not really refresh as in reload the page, but rather it starts the "rendering" of the page from start, i.e. scroll to top, flash animations start from 0, and so forth. The effect is reproduced by this fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/fYmnB/ Clicking the print button and finishing or cancelling a print in Safari causes the screen to "go white" for a sec, which in my real website manifests itself as something "like" a reload. While running print button with, let's say, Firefox, just opens and closes the print dialogue without affecting the fiddle page in any way. Is there something with my way of calling the browsers print method that causes this, or how can it be explained - and preferably, avoided? P.S.: On my real site the same occurs with Chrome. In the ex