What's the proper use of ShrinkToFit() for dyn arrays?

[Fishytza]

...Or rather, should I use it at all?

Right now it looks like this:

For adding stuff

Code: Select all

		array.Push(thing);
		array.ShrinkToFit();

For removing stuff

Code: Select all

		if( array.Size() )
		{
			uint todelete = array.Find(thing);
			if( todelete < array.Size() )
			{
				array.Delete(todelete);
				array.ShrinkToFit();
			}
		}

[_mental_]

In common case you shouldn't use it, apparently not after each array update.

[Graf Zahl]

The only use for it is if you have dynamically created a larger set of data, and once you know that you won't need to reallocate it any further, shrink it to the final size.
This function will always cause a reallocation and copy of contents so only use it when you are 100% certain that the array won't change its size anymore. Otherwise it can easily destroy performance.

[Fishytza]

...only use it when you are 100% certain that the array won't change its size anymore. Otherwise it can easily destroy performance.

Does this include not changing for the rest of the game session? Because, as it is right now, that piece of code up there is used by a event handler. Specifically, the first part is in WorldThingSpawned(), the second part is in WorldThingDestroyed().

[Graf Zahl]

If you know that the array will change in the future, do not use ShrinkToFit. Repeatedly calling it is very inefficient. This is for stuff where you parse a definition file, add element by element to the array, and when you are done want to free all the empty reserved elements at the end. And that's pretty much the ONLY reasonable use case for it.

[Fishytza]

Understood.