Boost::multi_array performance question

Question

I am trying to compare the performance of boost::multi_array to native dynamically allocated arrays, with the following test program:

#include 

        

Answer 1

Consider using Blitz++ instead. I tried out Blitz, and its performance is on par with C-style array!

Check out your code with Blitz added below:

---

#include 
#define _SCL_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS
#define BOOST_DISABLE_ASSERTS 
#include 
#include 

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    const int X_SIZE = 200;
    const int Y_SIZE = 200;
    const int ITERATIONS = 500;
    unsigned int startTime = 0;
    unsigned int endTime = 0;

    // Create the boost array
    typedef boost::multi_array ImageArrayType;
    ImageArrayType boostMatrix(boost::extents[X_SIZE][Y_SIZE]);


    //------------------Measure boost----------------------------------------------
    startTime = ::GetTickCount();
    for (int i = 0; i < ITERATIONS; ++i)
    {
        for (int y = 0; y < Y_SIZE; ++y)
        {
            for (int x = 0; x < X_SIZE; ++x)
            {
                boostMatrix[x][y] = 2.345;
            }
        }
    }
    endTime = ::GetTickCount();
    printf("[Boost] Elapsed time: %6.3f seconds\n", (endTime - startTime) / 1000.0);

    //------------------Measure blitz-----------------------------------------------
    blitz::Array blitzArray( X_SIZE, Y_SIZE );
    startTime = ::GetTickCount();
    for (int i = 0; i < ITERATIONS; ++i)
    {
        for (int y = 0; y < Y_SIZE; ++y)
        {
            for (int x = 0; x < X_SIZE; ++x)
            {
                blitzArray(x,y) = 2.345;
            }
        }
    }
    endTime = ::GetTickCount();
    printf("[Blitz] Elapsed time: %6.3f seconds\n", (endTime - startTime) / 1000.0);


    //------------------Measure native-----------------------------------------------
    // Create the native array
    double *nativeMatrix = new double [X_SIZE * Y_SIZE];

    startTime = ::GetTickCount();
    for (int i = 0; i < ITERATIONS; ++i)
    {
        for (int y = 0; y < Y_SIZE; ++y)
        {
            for (int x = 0; x < X_SIZE; ++x)
            {
                nativeMatrix[x + (y * X_SIZE)] = 2.345;
            }
        }
    }
    endTime = ::GetTickCount();
    printf("[Native]Elapsed time: %6.3f seconds\n", (endTime - startTime) / 1000.0);



    return 0;
}

---

Here's the result in debug and release.

DEBUG:

Boost  2.093 secs 
Blitz  0.375 secs 
Native 0.078 secs

RELEASE:

Boost  0.266 secs
Blitz  0.016 secs
Native 0.015 secs

I used MSVC 2008 SP1 compiler for this.

Can we now say good-bye to C-stlye array? =p