Hello, currently I''m thinking about cutting down compilation times for a medium scale project I''m currently working on (~ 25k loc atm). I see two different possibilities: a) the good old "include what you need, where you need it" style. This means including only those headers actually needed at the top of each file. Following the simple logic "less files to parse means lower compilation time" b) creating a standard include which includes all regularly needed std and project headers and using precompiled header files for compilation speed up. While I came up with some pros and cons for both (mostly based on properties of the project and thus a bit hard to debate here..) I don''t come to a conclusion which one I should prefer.. Could you give me some facts or founded opinions speaking for or against the both possibilities? [Edited by - cmdkeen on May 19, 2008 8:30:37 PM]

I use a combination of both. I only include what I need where I need it, but I use a PCH for the Windows and OpenGL includes. Doing so has speeded up compilation time IMMENSELY.

"Sneftel is correct, if rather vulgar." --Flarelocke

But the speed-up only comes around when you have ''finished'' the code that used the pch. eg: Once it''s almost done and in a lib, it''ll help a bunch. Other than that, if you''re working on your game and still trying to create the PCH, it''ll not help if you''re changing headers and such.

At least that''s what I''m suffering from.

I don''t think you are supposed to modify your .pch.

Anyway, I don''t like precompiled headers. I don''t know why, I used to use it, and it made some headaches at some point, maybe it''s my fault or something I don''t know, but I have decided not to use it anymore.

I include files when necessary. After all, if they are not modified, they are not going to be recompiled, thus speeding up the compilation time. I''d say to include files when necessary, and have a good design/plan before coding (to reduce changes to the core files).