Visual C++ Optimization with Assembly Code

Rating:
Summary: Take your C++ application to the next level
Review: "Visual C++ Optimization with Assembly Code" by Yury Magda delivers on its promise. It does an effective job of guiding the reader in the use of assembly language to optimize that 20% of an application where the processor spends 80% of its time. It is directed toward the intermediate to advanced Windows C++ programmer, with basic Intel assembly language skills, who wants to take his application to the next level in code optimization.

The book is quite useful demonstrating the conversion of common C++ coding constructs into assembly. Example C++ source is listed (sometimes with disassembled compiler output) with the same algorithm translated into an efficient equivalent in assembly language. In some cases, the author will then show how this same assembly code can be optimized further using some of the less obvious machine instructions and binary arithmetic tricks to reduce the number of operations and eliminate branching. The reader would be advised to have a copy of Intel's Instruction Set Reference Manual handy (downloadable from Intel's web site) to look up some of the assembly mnemonics that will be thrown your way.

Just about everything one would need to know about the ins and outs of interfacing inline and externally-built assembly language with a Visual C++ application are covered. All of the code samples are short and to the point--just the way it ought to be. If you already have a lot of experience programming assembly language, as I have, then this book would probably be too rudimentary in many aspects. However, it does have a few useful tips and tricks that will help any programmer learn more about the Intel Pentium 4 instruction set.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful book
Review: The book delivers what the title promises: how to combine Visual C++ with assembler. Each possible combination of calls (C++ -> assembler, assembler -> C++) will be explained in great detail. Examples are kept simple which helps the reader to not loose survey what's the point to be explained in that example.
You should not expect to get much instructions how to write the fastest assembly code possible. The book gives only a couple of hints in chapter 1 ("The existing loop commands ... slow down the overall performance of the program and are indeed an anachronism to the modern processor models."). It doesn't prevent the author to use that loop command in later examples anyway.
Sometimes I also missed explanations about assembly commands and MASM directives used in the examples. If you completely want to understand what's going on you have to have additional reference material (Intel, MASM) at hand.
Conclusion: It's a great book about all aspects of interaction between Visual C++ and assembly language. If you want to know how to get out most of your assembly code you should use a different book (e.g. "Inner Loops" by Rick Booth)