<vector> question

I am working with very large files and I am storing a lot of data in a vector. I would like to make this process of copying the data as fast as possible. Since I'm using the STL I don't have to worry about programming the routines to be as a fast and efficient as possible. But I do have a choice:

1. Use vector_name.reserve(length) and then a series of push_backs to fill in the data

--or--

2. Use assign(array_begin_address,array_end_address)--without reserve, since assign would change the point anyway.

I am lucky enough to have been furnished with a very fast computer and have tried both ways and can't tell the difference--time-wise. However, the users of the my software might not be so lucky. If anyone could answer this I'd be very grateful.

-DM

Remember the first rule of performance...

Performance is ONLY a priority when you have measured that an implementation has a significant impact on meeting the documented performance requirements. In all other cases, readability and maintainability over-ride performance.

That being said, look at the logic of your code. If you are "logically" appending to the array, then push_back(...) is the clearest explaination of your intent. The addition of the reserve(...) keeps this intent visible, but provides the performance boost.

On the ofther hand, assign(....) indicates that you are putting someting into the vector at a specific place. A new reader of your code would have to examine the logic of your parameters to finaly realzie that this was appending to the end of the vector. Additionally a bug could easily cause you to perform some other action than actually appending (consider if the vector length changes somehow between the point where you calculate the offsets and where the assign takes place....

Looked at that way, the choice (at least to me( is clear!

I prefer assign. If you have Scott Meyer's "Effective STL" see
item 5 : "Prefer range member functions to their single element
counterparts". The very first example is an "assign versus push_back".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheCPUWizard

On the ofther hand, assign(....) indicates that you are putting someting into the vector at a specific place.

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Actually, assign replaces the contents of the container.

So it is the equivalent of a : clear() , reserve() , multiple push_backs().

You were probably think of insert(). (which Meyer's also prefers).

What is the size of your "very large file"?Since this file is very large,why read the file to the memory?

First, thanks for your responses.

My large files are hundreds of MB's to GB's in size. I'm working with CAD and Discrete Data files and these vectors that I'm creating are a know size. The point of creating these vectors is to repair the data or CAD representation of these files by closing gaps and repairing overlaps.

The implementation of the array's is fixed. I am reading the information in from a file or from a user via an API. I can't touch the original arrays because the original integrity of the data cannot be compromised. Because I can't touch the original array's I'm putting the data in a data structure in a convenient wrapper, stl::vector, so that I can work with the data.

The question was posed to find the fastest and cheapest way to copy the data into a vector by using either assign or reserve+push_back. A pointer to a vector is a member of the class "Mesh" and these pointers are pointed to "newed" vectors during initialization of an instance of the Mesh class. As I understand it, the number of operations is the same since the data is copied in both cases and the number of assignments is the number of elements in the array long.

Assign destroys the data the old vector holds and allocates memory for the new array based on the pointers passed to "assign". Then it copies the data.

Reserve first allocates the array and the push_back copies the array contents into the vector. What I was wondering is if the overhead from so many push_back's out weigh a single call to assign. I know the same thing happens using both. What I was wondering was which one was faster?

If all your data had been stored in the array, at the same time, the data is needn't nodified, the assignment is a better choice!
Else, You will choose the reserve.

Quote:

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If you have Scott Meyer's "Effective STL" see
item 5 : "Prefer range member functions to their single element
counterparts". The very first example is an "assign versus push_back".

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I do not have a copy of that book with me now... so what is Meyers' reasoning considering that reserve() can be used?

According to my experience,the two methods didn't have evident effect!
You need decompound the very large data till the data can push_back to the vector under your anticipant efficiency.

Meyers' may have more than just measurable efficiency in mind when he recommends assign over push_back.

Using the assignment can be more effective than inserting the element one by one !But that depend on all your data must be stored in the sequence container , like the vector,list,array...

At the same time,while you insert the element ,you don't want to modify some element!

This is the real meaning of Mayers<<Effective STL>> Item 5!

Sccrman06, if you can't load the data straight into the vector, I would use assign because that function does exactly what you are trying to do (make a vector which contains the given data) in one go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by laserlight

Meyers' may have more than just measurable efficiency in mind when he recommends assign over push_back.

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EXACTLY! :thumb: :wave:

The question of which is faster should be considered only after measurements are taken which determine if the time is meaningful.

Also finding the time in the general case is very very difficult. It may vary dpending on version/implementation of STL (different results for different compilers). It may also depend on locality of data (impacting L1/L2 caching, etc). It may also depend on the amunt of data.

Since all of these variables exist, one can not come up with a definitive answer (If anyone is willing to state that one is faster than the other for all possible conditions and put money on the table, let me know!) the decision should revet back to what is cleaner code.

Thanks for all of the advice guys.

I think I'll be going with assign since it makes for cleaner code. Assign requires one statement while reserve+push_back requires two+for-loop. I still would like to know which is faster in general. By that I mean which requires fewer operations or whatever it means to be "faster."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sccrman06

. I still would like to know which is faster in general. By that I mean which requires fewer operations or whatever it means to be "faster."

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Re-read reply #13..... It is impossible to make a 100% accurate prediciton of which approach will be faster. I can generate conditions in a program which will make either one faster than the other for a VERY specific use case.

Going by "cleaner code" (which is what you are doing) is the only rational approach.