Is Template Metaprogramming faster than the equivalent C code?

Question

Is Template Metaprogramming faster than the equivalent C code ? ( I\'m talking about the runtime performance) :)

Answer 1

The answer is it depends.

Template metaprogramming can be used to easily write recursive descent language parsers and these can be inefficient compared to a carefully crafted C program or a table-based implementation (e.g. flex/bison/yacc).

On the other hand, you can write metaprograms that generate unrolled loops which can be more efficient than a more an conventional C implementation that uses loops.

The main benefit is that metaprograms allow the programmer to do more with less code.

The downside is that it also gives you a gatling gun to shoot yourself in the foot with.

Answer 2

I worked on a project where another programmer had tried out metaprogramming. It was terrible. It was a complete headache. I'm an average programmer with a lot of C++ experience, and trying to devise what the hell they were trying to do took way more time than if they had written it straight out to begin with.

I'm jaded against C++ MetaProgramming because of this experience.

I'm a firm believer that the best code is most easily readable by an average developer. It's the readability of the software that is the #1 priority. I can make anything work using any language... but the skill is in making it readable and easily workable for the next person on the project. C++ MetaProgramming fails to pass muster.