Displayng stuff on the console: 7 millions CPU cycles

[frktons]

I've tried to count how many CPU cycles it takes to display 100
formatted numbers to the screen console.

Well it takes about 7 millions CPU cycles, and I think that's too
much.

Attached the program that uses loc and print to display
the 100 DW numbers after the formatting process.

Any idea to cut down this elapsed time?

[dedndave]

you can write directly to the screen buffer
you have done that before

[frktons]

you can write directly to the screen buffer
you have done that before

Yes Dave, I did it, but print uses WriteConsole as well,
so for the time being I can only think about doing all the prints on the
buffer and display the whole buffer after that.
I don't know however if there will be a gain in performance.

[dedndave]

i would imagine using WriteConsoleOutput would be faster
it's like accessing the console screen buffer directly as a file

in 16-bit code, we used to access the memory directly
don't guess there is a way to do that with win32

EDIT....
however, the console display area is actually a window
if you want to manage the display buffer memory yourself, you can draw characters youself

but - when you are all done getting that to work, it's still a console app   :P

if you want more speed - GUI app - draw your own characters   :t

[dedndave]

here - play with this   

i measure about 9000 characters per second
that's on a 3 gHz prescott

[frktons]

here - play with this   

i measure about 9000 characters per second
that's on a 3 gHz prescott

What API did you use for that? The source is a bit confusing, there is
a lot of unused stuff inside.

[qWord]

Well it takes about 7 millions CPU cycles, and I think that's too
much.

don't worry, your CPU does approximately 10^9 cycles per second  - should be enough for user I/O :P
(you will get better result by redirecting the output to a file)

[dedndave]

as i recall, i used ExtTextOut
not sure what you mean by "unused stuff" - lol
the EXE is only 16 kb

actually - i wasn't really trying to make it super-fast
the dTxtOut proc is used to put text into the buffer

[frktons]

don't worry, your CPU does approximately 10^9 cycles per second  - should be enough for user I/O :P
(you will get better result by redirecting the output to a file)

What do you mean "redirecting the output to a file"?
I just want to display some stuff on the screen console,
how do I do that using a file?
And why should it be faster?

as i recall, i used ExtTextOut
not sure what you mean by "unused stuff" - lol
the EXE is only 16 kb

I mean when I run the prog I see a console and some stuff that cycling is displayed
on it, after that it stops.
So I don't understand what is, for example, this stuff:

Code Select Expand


;test data

TxtBuf      db BUFFER_COLUMNS dup(0),13,10,0
teststr     db '123456789 ',0
thrdend     db -1
thrdended   db -1
testcnt     dd 8

;## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##

        .DATA
        ALIGN    4

FeCount          dd FeList
wrUpdate         dd wrUpd

WheelVect        dd WvNrm,WvShf,WvCtl,WhNrm,WhShf
WheelPtrs        dd ShftVrtState,CtrlVrtState,HrzState,ShftHrzState

CmdVectUsr       dd dCC_Acknowledge,dCC_Continue,dCC_Flush
CmdVectPma       dd dCC_Acknowledge,dCC_Continue,dCC_Flush,dCP_Print

ams AppModeStruct <0,dCU_Base,dCU_MaxCmd,CmdVectUsr,AppNameUsr,dCP_Base,dCP_MaxCmd,CmdVectPma,AppNamePma>
; hRcvr         dd ?
; nBaseCmd      dd dCU_Base          ;dCU_Base or dCP_Base (equates)
; nMaxCmd       dd dCU_MaxCmd        ;dCU_MaxCmd or dCP_MaxCmd (equates)
; lpCmdVect     dd CmdVectUsr        ;command dispatch vector table
; AppNamePtr    dd AppNameUsr        ;pointer to AppName string
; nPmaBaseCmd   dd dCP_Base
; nPmaMaxCmd    dd dCP_MaxCmd
; lpPmaCmdVect  dd CmdVectPma
; PmaAppNamePtr dd AppNamePma

vs ViewSettings <0,WINDOW_HEIGHT,80Ch,BACK_COLOR,FORE_COLOR>
; WndWidth         dd 0                 ;default filled in at init
; WndHeight        dd WINDOW_HEIGHT
; DefaultTextSize  dd 80Ch              ;default = 8x12
; BackColor        dd BACK_COLOR        ;background color
; ForeColor        dd FORE_COLOR        ;foreground color

CustomColors ColorStruct <MyBlack_0,MyBlue_1,MyGreen_2,MyCyan_3,\
                          MyRed_4,MyMagenta_5,MyAmber_6,MyLtGrey_7,\
                          MyGrey_8,MyLtBlue_9,MyLtGreen_A,MyLtCyan_B,\
                          MyLtRed_C,MyLtMagenta_D,MyYellow_E,MyWhite_F>

WinCreateTable   dd WS_CHILD or WS_VISIBLE or SBARS_SIZEGRIP,StatusClass
                 dd WS_CHILD or SBS_HORZ,ScrollClass
                 dd WS_CHILD or SBS_VERT,ScrollClass
                 dd WS_CHILD or SBS_SIZEBOX,ScrollClass
                 dd WS_CHILD or SBS_SIZEGRIP,ScrollClass
                 dd WS_CHILD or WS_VISIBLE,TxtClass

;main menu table - item qty, [each item: (lpNewItem,uIDNewItem,uFlags)], menu title

MenuTable        dd 3                                                  ;'File' menu
                 dd szSaveAs,IDM_FILE_SAVEAS,MF_GRAYED                 ;'Save As...'
                 dd NULL,NULL,MF_SEPARATOR                             ;MFT_SEPARATOR
                 dd szExit,IDM_FILE_EXIT,MF_STRING                     ;'Exit'
                 dd szFileMenu                                         ;'File'
                 dd 2                                                  ;'Edit' menu
                 dd szCopyAll,IDM_EDIT_COPYALL,MF_GRAYED               ;'Copy All'
                 dd szCopyForum,IDM_EDIT_COPYFORUM,MF_GRAYED           ;'Copy Forum'
                 dd szEditMenu                                         ;'Edit'
                 dd 5                                                  ;'View' menu
                 dd szForeColor,IDM_FORE_COLOR,MF_STRING               ;'Foreground Color'
                 dd szBackColor,IDM_BACK_COLOR,MF_STRING               ;'Background Color'
                 dd NULL,NULL,MF_SEPARATOR                             ;MFT_SEPARATOR
                 dd NULL,NULL,MF_SEPARATOR                             ;MFT_SEPARATOR
                 dd szStatusBar,IDM_VIEW_STATUSBAR
StbState         dd STATUS_BAR                                         ;'Status Bar'
                 dd szViewMenu                                         ;'View'
                 dd 3                                                  ;'Help' menu
                 dd szHelpMenu,IDM_HELP_HELP,MF_STRING                 ;'Help'
                 dd NULL,NULL,MF_SEPARATOR                             ;MFT_SEPARATOR
                 dd szAbout,IDM_HELP_ABOUT,MF_STRING                   ;'About'
                 dd szHelpMenu                                         ;'Help'
                 dd 2                                                  ;'Reset Colors' submenu
                 dd szCustomFore,IDM_VIEW_RESETFORE,MF_STRING          ;'Custom Foreground Colors'
                 dd szCustomBack,IDM_VIEW_RESETBACK,MF_STRING          ;'Custom Background Colors'
                 dd szReset                                            ;'Reset Colors'
                 dd 5                                                  ;'Mouse Wheel' submenu
                 dd szShftVert,IDM_VIEW_MWSHFTVRT
ShftVrtState     dd MF_CHECKED                                         ;'Shft Vert'
                 dd szCtrlVert,IDM_VIEW_MWCTRLVRT
CtrlVrtState     dd MF_CHECKED                                         ;'Ctrl Vert'
                 dd NULL,NULL,MF_SEPARATOR                             ;MFT_SEPARATOR
                 dd szHorz,IDM_VIEW_MWHRZ
HrzState         dd MF_CHECKED                                         ;'Horz'
                 dd szShftHorz,IDM_VIEW_MWSHFTHRZ
ShftHrzState     dd MF_CHECKED                                         ;'Shft Horz'
                 dd szWheel                                            ;'Mouse Wheel'

szFileMenu       db 'File',0
szEditMenu       db 'Edit',0
szViewMenu       db 'View',0
szHelpMenu       db 'Help',0
szSaveAs         db 'Save As...',0
szExit           db 'Exit',0
szCopyAll        db 'Copy All',0
szCopyForum      db 'Copy Forum',0
szForeColor      db 'Foreground Color',0
szBackColor      db 'Background Color',0
szStatusBar      db 'Status Bar',0
szAbout          db 'About',0
szTextSize       db 'Text Size',0
szCustomFore     db 'Custom Foreground Colors',0
szCustomBack     db 'Custom Background Colors',0
szReset          db 'Reset Colors',0
szVert           db 'Vert',0
szShftVert       db 'Shft Vert',0
szCtrlVert       db 'Ctrl Vert',0
szHorz           db 'Horizontal',0
szShftHorz       db 'Shft Horz',0
szWheel          db 'Mouse Wheel',0

WndClass         db 'dTestClass',0
TxtClass         db 'dTestText',0
ScrollClass      db 'ScrollBar',0
StatusClass      db 'msctls_statusbar32',0
AppNameUsr       db 'dTest User Mode',0
AppNamePma       db 'dTest Presentation Mode',0
AboutText        db 'dTest',10
                 db 'Copyright ',169,' 2011 David R. Sheldon'
NullStr          db 0
FileTypeStrs     db 'Text Files',0,'*.txt',0,'All Files',0,'*.*',0,0
IccErrText       db 'InitCommonControls Failed',0
AllocErrText     db 'Heap Allocation Error',0
szExists         db 'File Already Exists',0
szAppend         db 'Append',0
szOverwrite      db 'Overwrite',0
szVerify         db 'Are You sure ?',0
szYes            db 'Yes',0
FileErrTitle     db 'Error Writing File',0
FileErrText      db 'Select a different file name and/or location and try again',0
CbErrTitle       db 'Error Copying to Clipboard',0
CbErrText        db 'Close any programs that may be using the clipboard and try again',0
HelpText         db 'Help is on the way! ;)',0
szDateFormat     db "d'-'MMM'-'yyyy",0

PmaErrText       db 'Unable to Open Presentation Manager Application',0


[frktons]

OK Dave, I've seen, this is a Win App, not a console one.
In my first impression it is quite slow during the display.

I'll build something faster and show you the difference in a
few days, maybe 400,000 chars per second.

[dedndave]

redirecting to a file....

C:\> ExeProgram >temp.txt

the output goes to a file
it can also be done using a pipe
in fact, i would guess CMD.EXE uses a pipe to redirect

you can redirect input, as well

C:\> ExeProgram <input.txt

you could create a pipe to put things on the console screen, but i don't see that that would be fast

another example of a redirecting through a pipe

C:\> type input.txt | sort.exe >output.txt

i don't think ms provides sort.exe any more, but it used to be a DOS filter

[frktons]

redirecting to a file....

C:\> ExeProgram >temp.txt

the output goes to a file
it can also be done using a pipe

Why should I use this method to display stuff? I don't understand.  :icon_rolleyes:
Let's say I'm scanning a data base, and each time I press a key or click "Next" I
display next dbrecord, this is what I mean display some stuff on the screen, and
redirecting to a file is not at all comfortable.

[dedndave]

well - qWord was just saying it's faster   

400,000 chars per second - i am waiting to see that   
at least - not into a scrollable buffer like my little demo program
notice - when that is done running, you can scroll through all 775 lines of text

i used a loop of 1000 passes, 62 chars per pass
i could blast the whole thing in there at once if i really wanted to test it

the loop is in UserCode.inc

[frktons]

well - qWord was just saying it's faster   

400,000 chars per second - i am waiting to see that   
at least - not into a scrollable buffer like my little demo program
notice - when that is done running, you can scroll through all 775 lines of text

Well, that's a challenge. I get it.
First I'm going to display 400,000 chars in about 1 second in a fixed screen,
and after I'll do the same for a scrollable one.
Not an easy task, but I think it is doable, both ways.
Just wait some days....  :P

[dedndave]

well - i am not claiming mine is all that fast - lol
it expands tabs, handles carriage return/line feed, line-wrap, vertical and horizontal scrolling, etc

as it is, it is running in "full auto update" mode
meaning that each call to put something into the buffer updates the display

i also provide for semi-auto update mode
it only updates the display if you clear a line or cause a new line/line wrap

and manual update mode - where you have to update it, yourself   :P

of the three modes, full auto is the slowest