Generally, the STL will produce (ever so slightly) tighter code than you or I will. The only speed issue to consider when using stl::vector is when you resize it, and is no different than using your own resizable array.

It''s worth learning how to use the STL for the proven containers it provides. You can be reasonably certain that the containers will work as excepted; there are (or were) a few bugs in the MS/HP version, but they are fairly minor and may have been corrected in a SP release. It''s easy to make a mistake when coding a simple linked list, and then you waste time debugging it; the STL saves you from this.

If you''re not used to working with templates, and are accustomed to the void* techniques, then the STL is even better. It provides type-safety without code-bloat for all the containers that are instanced - which AFAIK is not possible in any other language. If anyone knows of any others, please let me know.

The vectors can be bound checked in a debug build, and optimized out in a release build, so you get the best of all possible worlds. However, I don''t think the STL currently does this (at least not the MS/HP version).


Magmai Kai Holmlor
- Not For Rent

I haven''t used the STL enough to know if this is true, but I''ve heard that the STL makes lots of tiny memory allocations and causes memory fragmentation, resulting in poor app performance.

I got these from quite a few places, but the only one I can remember at the moment is the Post Mortem of Star Wars Starfighter on Gamasutra.

Does the STL make the tiny allocations, or the programmer using it?

quote:Original post by Magmai Kai Holmlor
Does the STL make the tiny allocations, or the programmer using it?

Good point. I''ll have to start experimenting and going through the specs.

The STL really doesn''t make anymore memory allocations than if you had programmed a similar class yourself.

For example, if you allocate a vector with 10 spaces, and then insert an 11th. The code will work fine and you might think every things groovy. But behind the curtain, stl saw that enough memory wasn''t already allocated, allocates 11 spaces, and then copies all the values over to the new array. The original list of 10 is de-allocated, and results most likely in fragmented memory.

If however, you set the vectors initial Max Size to 50, and never go above 50, you should not created any tiny memory fragments.

STL can''t think for you, but it gives you ways that you can set it up so it works optimally.

I like stl.

The memory fragmentation problems that were encountered in "Star Wars: Starfighter" were PS2 issues, not PC, btw.

Magmai Kai Holmlor
- Not For Rent