Author: David Dory
Date: 02:10:44 01/13/02
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On January 13, 2002 at 01:53:02, emerson tan wrote: >What's the best computer language to program a chess software in terms of speed >of execution? Is it FORTRAN? C++? C? or any other language I dont know? What are >the advantages and disadvantages of each language? What languages does FRITZ, >SHREDDER, REBEL, TIGER, JUNIOR, HIARCS, CRAFTY, CHESSMATER AND OTHER FAMOUS >PROGRAMS USE? > >Thanks Most of the top amateur and pro programs are written in C. Many sprinkle in some assembly language in very time-critical sections. Some very good programs have been written in assembly - which is blazingly fast. Unfortunately when the computer it was written for becomes obsolete, so does the program. Another disadvantage of using assembly is that the program becomes more difficult to modify. The advantage of using C? First, C is available for every general purpose computer. Second, the resulting program can be re-compiled and run on so many different kinds of computers, and third, C is well known for it's speed, and overall robustness of expression. Most operating systems software are written in C. C++ is another good choice. It can be quite quick, and is wonderfully powerful. Personally, I believe C++ is best suited for modeling, and I do not think chess is a great example of something to model. Despite my beliefs, some good programs have been written in C++, which shows you how much I know!! :-)) Programs have also been written in Fortran, BASIC, Pascal, Delphi, Modulo2, and LISP (and several more I haven't mentioned, I'm sure). The biggest problem with most of these languages is that the resulting programs just aren't as fast as an equivalent program written in 'C'. Speed is quite critical in chess programming, and the fastest general purpose and best known language is 'C'. I can't personally state what language is used by every program*,but I would be surprised if ANY top program was written in anything other than C, assembly, or C++. *Crafty, Beowolf, Rival, TSCP, Nimzo, and Green Light Chess programs are all written in 'C'. Some with a sprinkling of assembly as well. Rebel apparently has a heavier dose of assembly language code, if I remember Mr. Schroeder's comments correctly. Dave
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