Re^3: Finding oldest file in directory

Note that the arguments against a perl-based high-water-mark algorithm don't apply to List::Util::max, which, like sort, is written in C. (The overhead of a function call vs the overhead of other opcodes does, however, apply, but that's a very small difference.)

Comment on Re^3: Finding oldest file in directory

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•Re^4: Finding oldest file in directory by merlyn (Sage) on Oct 19, 2004 at 13:22 UTC
Yes, I was talking about builtin Perl sort vs a Perl-coded high-water mark. Your List::Util's max doesn't apply in the referenced case (largest file), because max can't be coaxed to doing an indirection, so you'd need a GRT style translation, or else you're back to open coding it, again. The point here is that high-water-mark is one strategy, and sorting is another strategy, with different costs depending on the length. The only real takeaway here is Benchmark will know, because you can't always guess. -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.	[reply]

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•Re^4: Finding oldest file in directory
by merlyn (Sage) on Oct 19, 2004 at 13:22 UTC

List::Util

The point here is that high-water-mark is one strategy, and sorting is another strategy, with different costs depending on the length. The only real takeaway here is Benchmark will know, because you can't always guess.

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker
Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.

[reply]