Wholly unnecessary flame. (was Re: pyXML!)

[Fredrik Lundh]

Bjorn Pettersen wrote:
> Every compiler has it's set of bugs, however I still haven't seen the ms
> compiler lay down incorrect assembly (not accepting legal code is a
> different issue ;-).

MSVC 5.0 without all service packs can generate some
really strange things...

...and I still remember good old MSC 6's loop optimizer,
which once changed:

    result = 0
    for x in range(large number):
        for y in range(large number):
            get pixel at (x, y)
            result = result + do some math

to

    get pixel at random coordinate
    result = do some math    
    for x in range(large number):
        for y in range(large number):
            pass

("hey, you asked me to optimize for speed, didn't you?")

MSVC 6 seems to be pretty solid, though...

</F>