What Pragmas do you use? and why?

General
1 
  #If Not DebugBuild
    #pragma DisableBackgroundTasks
    #pragma DisableBoundsChecking
    #pragma DisableAutoWaitCursor
    #pragma StackOverflowchecking False
    #pragma NilObjectChecking False
  #EndIf

I have gotten in the habit of slapping this at the start of any processor intensive method… but to be honest… I’m not sure if I am making the best use of them or not.

And I “assume” these stay in scope for each method… and there is not a way to apply them once (or a less number of times) and get the maximum benefit?

Also are there others that would be beneficial (or determental)?

2

Yes, and they apply only to that method, not any method calls performed from the method where the pragma is issued.

3

I only use BackgroundTasks and BoundsChecking, when I use them at all. These will kill the UI, so I only use them in small helper functions to maximize their performance when called from the master method. If something is going to take a really long time, I either use a thread or a timer that works as a pseudo-thread.

4

The one I use all the time has nothing to do with performance:

#pragma unused varName

Another that helps remind me of unfinished code:

#pragma warning “FINISH THIS!”

(Although that last one doesn’t seem to work on Xojo.)

5

[quote=19500:@Kem Tekinay]
#pragma warning “FINISH THIS!”
(Although that last one doesn’t seem to work on Xojo.)[/quote]

Works for me.

Like Kem Tekinay I rarely use any #pragmas other than Unused and Warning, though I sometimes also use Error and BreakOnExceptions.

6

[quote=19509:@Andrew Lambert] Kem Tekinay: #pragma warning “FINISH THIS!” (Although that last one doesn’t seem to work on Xojo.)

Works for me.[/quote]

Does not work for me. I force errors like:

??? Check this tomorrow

7

I’ll have to test “warning” again, but I wasn’t seeing the message in the compiler.

8

I think DisableAutoWaitCursor makes code slower as some things are done to avoid the auto wait cursor.
Also I think bounds check, stack check and nil object checks are important and should not be disabled.
DisableBackgroundTasks can speed up loops a lot and make the app less responsive.

9

I use a fake #error pragma like

#if Not DebugBuild #error Don't ship with this code! #endif
to be sure to remind myself to do something with the code before it goes out the door.

10

[quote=19519:@Thom McGrath]I use a fake #error pragma like

#if Not DebugBuild #error Don't ship with this code! #endif
to be sure to remind myself to do something with the code before it goes out the door.[/quote]

There is an actual pragma for errors, which is a bit better than getting “unknown pragma”:

#pragma error "message"
11

[quote=19532:@Joe Ranieri]There is an actual pragma for errors, which is a bit better than getting “unknown pragma”:

#pragma error "message"

I should have known…

Regardless, my snippet is largely useless in most situations. DebugBuild is a useless constant to wrap it in. A custom constant is where such a pragma proves useful.

12

@Thom McGrath - Thanks for that pragma!..great tip - always wrestling with that won’t be used in build but required in debug