Performance: Making Programs Run Faster

This chapter discusses the following topics related to improving run-time performance of Visual Fortran programs:

• Software Environment and Efficient Compilation
  Important software environment suggestions that apply to nearly all applications, including using the most recent version of the compiler, related performance tools, and efficient ways to compile using the DF command or the visual development environment
• Analyze Program Performance
  Analyzing program performance, including using profiling tools
• Data Alignment Considerations
  Guidelines related to avoiding unaligned data
• Use Arrays Efficiently
  Guidelines for efficient array use
• Improve Overall I/O Performance
  Guidelines related to improving overall I/O performance
• Additional Source Code Guidelines for Run-Time Efficiency
  Additional performance guidelines related to source code
• Optimization Levels: the /optimize:num Option
  Understanding the compiler /optimize:num optimization level options and the types of optimizations performed
• Other Options Related to Optimization
  Understanding other compiler optimization options (besides the /optimize:num options)
• Compiler Directives Related to Performance
  Discuss the source directives (cDEC$ prefix) related to performance that can be used in place of compiler options or to provide more control of certain optimizations