Why #forceref?

[czardas]

Could somebody explain to me why this directive needs to exist? It only seems to slow the script down (from my perspective) - eg.

Func __Snippet($vSource, $sCode)
    #forceref $vSource ; added latency
    Execute($sCode) ; $vSource may, or may not, appear in the code
EndFunc

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by czardas

[JohnOne]

Lousy pseudo answer, I know, bur I think it has something to do with certain callback functions.

[czardas]

When I call that function 8 million times, the latency becomes a significant factor.

Edited February 5, 2016 by czardas

[mLipok]

18 minutes ago, czardas said:

Could somebody explain to me why this directive needs to exist? It only seems to slow the script down (from my perspective) - eg.

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Au3Check_Parameters=-d -w 1 -w 2 -w 3 -w- 4 -w 5 -w 6 -w 7

Func __Snippet($vSource, $sCode)
;~     #forceref $vSource ; added latency
    Execute($sCode) ; $vSource may, or may not, appear in the code
EndFunc

 

Au3Check result:

 

Quote

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\..\AutoIt3.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE\AutoIt3Wrapper\AutoIt3Wrapper.au3" /run /prod /ErrorStdOut /in "Z:\TOOLs\Macro\_TEST\test_Forceref_180416.au3" /UserParams    
+>09:50:16 Starting AutoIt3Wrapper v.15.920.938.4 SciTE v.3.6.2.0   Keyboard:00000415  OS:WIN_7/Service Pack 1  CPU:X64 OS:X64  Environment(Language:0415)  CodePage:65001  utf8.auto.check:4    # detect ascii high characters and if none found set default encoding to UTF8 and do not add BOM
+>         SciTEDir => C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\SciTE   UserDir => C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\SciTE\AutoIt3Wrapper   SCITE_USERHOME => C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\SciTE 
>Running AU3Check (3.3.15.1)  params:-d -w 1 -w 2 -w 3 -w- 4 -w 5 -w 6 -w 7  from:C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3  input:Z:\TOOLs\Macro\_TEST\test_Forceref_180416.au3
"Z:\TOOLs\Macro\_TEST\test_Forceref_180416.au3"(3,24) : warning: $vSource: declared, but not used in func.
Func __Snippet($vSource,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
Z:\TOOLs\Macro\_TEST\test_Forceref_180416.au3 - 0 error(s), 1 warning(s)
->09:50:16 AU3Check ended. Press F4 to jump to next error.rc:1
>Running:(3.3.14.2):C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\autoit3.exe "Z:\TOOLs\Macro\_TEST\test_Forceref_180416.au3"    
--> Press Ctrl+F11 to Restart or Ctrl+Break -or- F11 to Stop
+>09:50:16 AutoIt3.exe ended.rc:0
+>09:50:16 AutoIt3Wrapper Finished.
>Exit code: 0    Time: 1.02
 

 

[czardas]

Saying it needs to exist to satisfy a syntax checking algorithm cuts no ice [IMO].

Edited February 5, 2016 by czardas

[Jos]

27 minutes ago, czardas said:

Saying it needs to exist to satisfy a syntax checking algorithm cuts no ice [IMO].

It does as that is the only way to tell it it is really used.

So it's purpose in life is 2 fold but none for AutoIt3 itself, so feel free not to use it.

1. Au3Check is using it as shown.
2. AU3Stripper is using it to avoid a variable being stripper for not being used.

Jos

Edited February 5, 2016 by Jos

[mLipok]

34 minutes ago, czardas said:

Saying it needs to exist to satisfy a syntax checking algorithm cuts no ice [IMO].

Yes.
And yes "slow the script down" but only when is not compiled yet and at the same time if you have this function called hundreds of time in single msec.

 

EDIT:

oops ... I did not notice @Jos response.

Edited February 5, 2016 by mLipok

[czardas]

@Jos Thanks, that's the answer I was most hoping to hear. I have been including it and the difference is not so great, but it is still noticeable. I'm passing the variable as an empty string when it is not contained in the code (execution string) - a hidden optional parameter.  

12 minutes ago, mLipok said:

... only when is not compiled yet ...

That's good to know.  

Edited February 5, 2016 by czardas

[mLipok]

As I know/understand this directive is removed during the build/compile process.
Well, unless I'm wrong in this regard.

[Jos]

aut2exe is not stripping anything.
au3stripper will strip most unnecessary directives, but it it needs #forceref for it's stripping functionality and also wants to produce a script that doesn't trigger errors with au3check, so will leave any #forceref statement in the source.

Jos

Edited February 5, 2016 by Jos

[mLipok]

Aut2exe.exe also leave this untached ?

[czardas]

I think you mean untouched.

[mLipok]

4 minutes ago, mLipok said:

Aut2exe.exe also leave this untached ?

Quick test:

#AutoIt3Wrapper_Au3Check_Parameters=-d -w 1 -w 2 -w 3 -w- 4 -w 5 -w 6 -w 7
Func __Snippet($vSource, $sCode)
    #forceref $vSource ; added latency
    Execute($sCode) ; $vSource may, or may not, appear in the code
EndFunc
Global $a[0]
ConsoleWrite($a[1] & @CRLF)

Compiling .... Run Exe file :  error in line 7 .

So it means: untouched.

 

ps.

@czardasThanks

Edited February 5, 2016 by mLipok

[czardas]

10 minutes ago, Jos said:

it needs #forceref for it's stripping functionality

Now it begins to make sense.

[Jos]

24 minutes ago, mLipok said:

So it means: untouched.

Didn't I say that already ...  guess you had some doubts there ..  (which is good)  

aut2exe doesn't make too many changes to the input source when processed.
it will:

• Strip Comments,
• continuation lines are merged up till the line max length 
• line indentations are stripped.
• #include<> statements are done by including the file inline. 

 That is about it I think.

Jos

 

 

 

[mLipok]

7 minutes ago, Jos said:

guess you had some doubts there ..  (which is good)

I am a behaviorist, I teach by example, trial and error. Words are not always well understood, particularly when differences of language / culture.

As I currently think, directive are omnited skipped/bypassed in stripping process as there are some used by AutoIt even when is in compiled mode like 
#NoTrayIcon
#RequireAdmin

So the easies way was to leave untouched all directives.

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by mLipok

[Jos]

1 minute ago, mLipok said:

directive are omnited

Directives are indeed simply ignored by aut2exe.exe/autoit3.exe except for the few used by either program like you mentioned and #pragma .

Jos

 

[LarsJ]

czardas, You are free to place #forceref where you want. You can place it like this:

Func WM_NOTIFY($hWnd, $iMsg, $wParam, $lParam)
  ;
  ; Code
  ;
  Return $GUI_RUNDEFMSG
  #forceref $hWnd, $iMsg, $wParam
EndFunc   ;==>WM_NOTIFY

This should eliminate the performance impact.

[czardas]

 @LarsJ Yes of course - that's the obvious compromise solution! Thanks!

However, I have to add a Return command to accommodate this, and tests seem to indicate that this makes it slightly slower overall. The difference is still very small. If the Return keyword was already in the function, it would slightly improve performance - otherwise not.

Func _Snippet2($vSource)
    Return ; added latency
    #forceref $vSource
EndFunc

This is taking optimization to a point beyond reason. You still have to test it to find out though! 

Edited February 5, 2016 by czardas

[LarsJ]

It's your own function. Do you really need an unused parameter? You use only #forceref due to an unused parameter.