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Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures

• From: Elliotte Harold <elharo@m...>
• To: derek denny-brown <zuligag@g...>
• Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:04:35 -0500

derek denny-brown wrote:

> Except that we are talking about the performance of XML parsers, and
> XML is all about string processing and Java string processing is slow.
> Java XML parsing will never be faster than a good XML parser written
> in C.  There is just too much overhead, and C benefits from 'struct's,
> the lack of which hinders ones ability to write certain constructs
> efficiently in Java.   

My god! Are we moving back on topic? Has this ever happened before? `-)

Even if your assertions about string processing are true, there's no 
rule that says you have to use strings to write an XML processor. Off 
the top of my head I can think of three XML libraries/APIs for Java that 
deliberately avoid java.lang.String for some of their work.

If performance were really a concern, and String proved to be the real 
bottleneck, it's entirely possible someone could write an XML API based 
on bytes rather than strings. So far I don't think anyone's really had 
the motivation to do so. Either it hasn't been shown that strings are 
the problem, or they're not a big enough problem that anyone wants to 
take the time to fix them.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo@m...
Java I/O 2nd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeaulait.org/books/javaio2/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596527500/ref=nosim/cafeaulaitA/

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Rick Jelliffe <rjelliffe@a...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Rick Marshall <rjm@z...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: noah_mendelsohn@u...

• References:
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Tei <oscar.vives@g...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Elliotte Harold <elharo@m...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Rick Marshall <rjm@z...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: Elliotte Harold <elharo@m...>
  • Re: Speed in Languages and Browser Architectures
    • From: "derek denny-brown" <zuligag@g...>