Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jarthur!uunet!taumet!steve
From: steve@taumet.com (Stephen Clamage)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: C++ executables so big...
Message-ID: <654@taumet.com>
Date: 4 Apr 91 17:03:46 GMT
References: <1991Apr3.175826.29695@pa.dec.com>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Taumetric Corporation, San Diego
Lines: 24

morgan@csc32.dec.com (Mike Morgan in Colorado Springs) writes:

>	I picked up THE TAO OF OBJECTS. In this book there is a fairly
> short program (using virtual objects??) to put on the screen two models
> of strange attractors.

>    My question is this. For a source of only 4k bytes or so why is the
> executable 53k??

Consider the Classic C program

	main(){ printf("%g\n", 1.2); }

which is less than 30 characters.  Would you expect the executable to be
similar in size?  This requires I/O and floating-point packages to
support the simple printf.

I am not familiar with the program you mention, but it must be pulling
in a number of library support routines, and some of these (like I/O)
must be rather large to support the functionality demanded by the
their specifications.
-- 

Steve Clamage, TauMetric Corp, steve@taumet.com