Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!venera.isi.edu!raveling
From: raveling@venera.isi.edu (Paul Raveling)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Size of toolkit-using programs?
Message-ID: <8811@venera.isi.edu>
Date: 30 Jun 89 16:21:15 GMT
References: <8906231754.AA28749@ATHENA.MIT.EDU> <8906271618.AA08184@expo.lcs.mit.edu>
Reply-To: raveling@venera.isi.edu (Paul Raveling)
Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California
Lines: 59


	Every layer of support software, including the toolkit, Xlib,
	and even OS libraries, keeps getting fatter & bringing in what
	would seem to be more excess baggage.  From executable file
	sizes the tooklit does appear to be the biggest offender,
	but certainly not the only one.  The rest of this message
	illustrates with some samples.


In article <8906271618.AA08184@expo.lcs.mit.edu> kit@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Chris D. Peterson) writes:
>
>Toolkit applications are big, but not usually that big, here are a few from
>my home machine (a tek4310):

	Adding sizes for both X11 & X10 on our HP 9000/300 series machines:

			Tek4310		     HP 9000/300
	Program		  X11		 X11R3		X10R2
	-------		  ---		 -----		-----

>These are all fairly complicated programs, ...

	xmh		434176		439004		 ---
	xman		418816		410337		 ---
	xterm		431104		423500		188068  **
	xedit		377856		385514		 ---

	**  BTW, xterm's level of functional complexity is about
	    the same as what I implemented in less than 32K for a custom
	    terminal a decade ago.  That included a small OS kernel.

****  Here are some simpler programs:

	xbiff		  ---		285780		 ---
	xclock		  ---		298494		 59372
	xload		  ---		289817		 46768

****  Here are a couple that don't use the toolkit:

	xsetroot	  ---		120308		 41052
	xrefresh	  ---		106978		 24976

****  And finally, a token example of virtually the simplest possible
      program, a tiny benchmark, that calls no system functions of any sort,
      doesn't even include ANY header files in compilation:

	Assembly language on HP 9000/370:			  591
	C On an HP 9000/370, compiled under HP-UX 6.5:	 	 5284
	C On a NeXt machine, compiled under MACH:		50728


	Maybe we should all buy stock in companies that manufacture
	RAM and disks...  or take another look at the architecture
	of multi-layered system software, including Xlib and Xt.


----------------
Paul Raveling
Raveling@isi.edu