FastCode

FastCode is an open source programming project aimed at providing enhanced runtime library routines for Embarcadero Delphi and C++ Builder. Since it was started in 2003 by Dennis Kjaer Christensen, it has contributed highly optimised functionality to the Delphi runtime library (RTL). FastCode is unique among contributions to commercial compiler runtime libraries for its community-driven and open source nature.

The project is organized as a competition divided into challenges. Each challenge takes one function and optimizes it against a number of targets. The project provides tools for benchmarking and validating each function contribution. One point is given per contribution (maximally one function per target is given points) and ten points are awarded for a target winner. A list with all contributors and their scores is maintained, and at the end of each year a winner is celebrated. Borland, Codegear and Embarcadero, the owners of Delphi and C++ Builder, have historically sponsored prizes.

The majority of participants in the competition are assembler developers who often utilize processor-specific code and extra instruction sets, such as MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3 and SSE4.

The project enjoys the support of Embarcadero who recognizes the contributions of the FastCode team and incorporates their code into the codebase for Delphi. The default memory manager for Embarcadero Delphi, FastMM4, is the winner of the FastCode Memory Manager challenge.

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