How to make and run my AutoIt script faster ?

[PKG]

Hi everyone...

I want to know that, how to improve my script's performance ?

Should I use less comments and white space to improve performance ?

I use C/C++ 's coding style for my script......use a "main" function, use return keyword within functions, explicitly declare variables.....etc. Is it a bad coding style ?

Thanks in advance...

[orbs]

quoting the help file for function FileRead():

If a filename is given rather than a file handle - the file will be opened and closed during the function call - for parsing large text files this will be much slower than using filehandles.

what i'm trying to say is that optimization very much depends on the specific task you are trying to accomplish. you'll have to adapt as you go. i doubt if there are any ground rules.

note: you want optimization? comment everything! part of optimized code is when the coder knows what they're doing. otherwise you'll end-up with several functions doing the same thing, unused defined variables, etc.

so far my opinion.

Edited June 3, 2013 by orbs

[water]

Give us an example script and we can give you sensible suggestions.

[guinness]

If you use Obfuscator then comments and whitespace can be stripped. But as water said, post your code as it's a general question that can spark general answers. If you want specific help, then be specific.

[PKG]

Here is an example script....

Should I use this coding style ?

expandcollapse popup

#include<GUIConstantsEx.au3>
Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)
Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)

Global $FL = False
Global $StopButton, $RunButton, $MyEditBox

main()

Func main()
    Local $MainForm = GUICreate("Win_App-1", 550, 500)
    GUISetOnEvent($GUI_EVENT_CLOSE, "WinExit")
    $MyEditBox = GUICtrlCreateEdit("", 5, 30, 540, 270)
    GUICtrlSetBkColor($MyEditBox, 0xFF6347)
    $RunButton = GUICtrlCreateButton("&Run", 120, 420, 70, 30)
    GUICtrlSetOnEvent($RunButton, "Run_DataLoop")
    $StopButton = GUICtrlCreateButton("&Stop", 200, 420, 70, 30)
    GUICtrlSetOnEvent($StopButton, "Run_DataLoop")
    GUISetState()

    While 1
        If $FL Then
            DataLoop()
        EndIf
        Sleep(10) ; Look for the flag
    WEnd
    Return
EndFunc   ;==>main

Func WinExit()
    Exit 0
EndFunc   ;==>WinExit

Func Run_DataLoop()
    Switch @GUI_CtrlId
        Case $RunButton
            $FL = True
        Case $StopButton
            $FL = False
    EndSwitch
    Return
EndFunc   ;==>Run_DataLoop

Func DataLoop()
    GUICtrlSetBkColor($MyEditBox, 0x008000)
    While $FL
        ToolTip("Func Running")
        Sleep(10)
    WEnd
    ToolTip("Function Stopped")
    GUICtrlSetBkColor($MyEditBox, 0xFF6347)
    Sleep(500)
    ToolTip("")
    Return
EndFunc   ;==>DataLoop

Edited June 3, 2013 by PKG

[guinness]

I don't see how you can increase performance in that script. 

[PKG]

That was just an example script.....I use this coding style for my scripts......I just want to know that, is it a good coding style ?

[guinness]

I would personally use hungarian notation for distingusing the datatype the variable holds. I would also pass the handle of the GUI to GUISetState and use GUIGetMsg in this instance, but that's me.

[czardas]

Off the top of my head, five ways to make your script run faster in no particular order.

1. Use short variable names

2. Don't use Global variables (if you can avoid them)

3. Don't use arrays unless absolutely necessary (use delimited strings if you can get away with it)

4. Clear up resources as you go

5. Avoid error checks (if you can do so safely) and other conditionals (if you don't need them).

Also test speed differences using Timer functions and be careful what you put inside loops. If speed is not critical do the opposite - within reason of course (you should always clean up resources).

Edited June 3, 2013 by czardas

[Melba23]

czardas,

 

Use short variable names

If you use Obfuscator, you can set the /OM (Obfuscate Minimum) flag and all the variables are automatically set to 3-character aliases in the obfuscated file used to compile - your script remains as written of course. That way you can have easily understandable names in the script and short ones in the compiled exe.

Personally I use:

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Run_Obfuscator=y
#Obfuscator_Parameters=/sf /sv /om /cs=0 /cn=0

which is actually /StripOnly and /OM - you have to add all the various parameters separately as Obfuscator only recognises a single "super-parameter".

 

M23

[AZJIO]

You have no time mark. How do you define it? First, check how much time the code runs, unless of course you did not come just to talk.

[guinness]

On the subject of Obfuscator, I've always used this configuration...

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Run_Obfuscator=Y
#Obfuscator_Parameters=/SF /SV /OM /CS=0 /CN=0

[PKG]

thanks everyone for your help...

[KaFu]

2. Don't use Global variables (if you can avoid them)

 

$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
_a()
Next
ConsoleWrite(TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)
 
 
Global $c, $d
$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
_b()
Next
ConsoleWrite(TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)
 
Func _a()
$a = 1
$b = 2
Return $a + $b
EndFunc   ;==>_a
 
Func _b()
$c = 1
$d = 2
Return $c + $d
EndFunc   ;==>_b

[PKG]

Thanks KaFu .....

AMT - Auto-Movie-Thumbnailer (2013-Mar-22)    and     SMF - Search my Files (2013-Apr-25) - THE file info and duplicates search tool 

AWESOME!!! KaFu....... :thumbsup:

[KaFu]

Glad you like em ...

[mLipok]

$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
_a()
Next
ConsoleWrite(TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)
 
 
Global $c, $d
$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
_b()
Next
ConsoleWrite(TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)
 
Func _a()
$a = 1
$b = 2
Return $a + $b
EndFunc   ;==>_a
 
Func _b()
$c = 1
$d = 2
Return $c + $d
EndFunc   ;==>_b

 

I do some modification to your test:

expandcollapse popup

$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
    _a()
Next
ConsoleWrite('no declaration: ' & TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)


Global $c, $d
$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
    _b()
Next
ConsoleWrite('Global: ' & TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)

$timer = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 100000
    _c()
Next
ConsoleWrite('Local: ' & TimerDiff($timer) & @CRLF)

Func _a()
    $a = 1
    $b = 2
    Return $a + $b
EndFunc   ;==>_a

Func _b()
    $c = 1
    $d = 2
    Return $c + $d
EndFunc   ;==>_b

Func _c()
    Local $a = 1
    Local $b = 2
    Return $a + $b
EndFunc   ;==>_c

and I'm surprised

no declaration: 604.186800580748

Global: 642.178154191643

Local: 1498.68164650135

 

no declaration: 544.96726098942

Global: 307.072023392012

Local: 745.605387035117

 

 

no declaration: 535.653894825903

Global: 206.11536109757

Local: 482.863025360931

 

Edited June 26, 2013 by mlipok