Optimize: Use an array-list instead of a linked-list of keywords.

Storing list elements in contiguous memory means: less cache misses.
This reduces the execution time of gperf on large inputs by ca. 30%.

* src/arraylist.h: New file.
* src/arraylist.cc: New file.
* src/Makefile.in (OBJECTS): Add arraylist.$(OBJEXT).
(ARRAYLIST_H): New variable.
(arraylist.$(OBJEXT)): New rule.
(search.$(OBJEXT)): Update dependencies.
(SOURCE_FILES): Add arraylist.cc and arraylist.h.
* src/search.cc: Include arraylist.h.
(struct EquivalenceClass): An an ArrayList field. Remove the linked-list
fields. Add a constructor.
(Search::compute_partition, delete_partition): Update.
(Search::count_possible_collisions, Search::unchanged_partition,
Search::find_asso_values): Update.

ChangeLog

@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
+2025-04-19  Bruno Haible  <bruno@clisp.org>
+
+	Optimize: Use an array-list instead of a linked-list of keywords.
+	Storing list elements in contiguous memory means: less cache misses.
+	This reduces the execution time of gperf on large inputs by ca. 30%.
+	* src/arraylist.h: New file.
+	* src/arraylist.cc: New file.
+	* src/Makefile.in (OBJECTS): Add arraylist.$(OBJEXT).
+	(ARRAYLIST_H): New variable.
+	(arraylist.$(OBJEXT)): New rule.
+	(search.$(OBJEXT)): Update dependencies.
+	(SOURCE_FILES): Add arraylist.cc and arraylist.h.
+	* src/search.cc: Include arraylist.h.
+	(struct EquivalenceClass): An an ArrayList field. Remove the linked-list
+	fields. Add a constructor.
+	(Search::compute_partition, delete_partition): Update.
+	(Search::count_possible_collisions, Search::unchanged_partition,
+	Search::find_asso_values): Update.
+
 2025-04-19  Bruno Haible  <bruno@clisp.org>
 
 	Optimize: Minimize object references in find_asso_values.

src/Makefile.in

@@ -61,8 +61,19 @@ SHELL = /bin/sh
 
 VPATH = $(srcdir)
 
-OBJECTS  = version.$(OBJEXT) positions.$(OBJEXT) options.$(OBJEXT) keyword.$(OBJEXT) keyword-list.$(OBJEXT) \
+OBJECTS = \
-           input.$(OBJEXT) bool-array.$(OBJEXT) hash-table.$(OBJEXT) search.$(OBJEXT) output.$(OBJEXT) main.$(OBJEXT)
+  version.$(OBJEXT) \
+  positions.$(OBJEXT) \
+  options.$(OBJEXT) \
+  keyword.$(OBJEXT) \
+  keyword-list.$(OBJEXT) \
+  input.$(OBJEXT) \
+  arraylist.$(OBJEXT) \
+  bool-array.$(OBJEXT) \
+  hash-table.$(OBJEXT) \
+  search.$(OBJEXT) \
+  output.$(OBJEXT) \
+  main.$(OBJEXT)
 LIBS     = ../lib/libgp.a @GPERF_LIBM@
 CPPFLAGS = @CPPFLAGS@ \
            -I. -I$(srcdir) \
@@ -92,6 +103,7 @@ OPTIONS_H = options.h options.icc $(POSITIONS_H)
 KEYWORD_H = keyword.h keyword.icc
 KEYWORD_LIST_H = keyword-list.h keyword-list.icc $(KEYWORD_H)
 INPUT_H = input.h $(KEYWORD_LIST_H)
+ARRAYLIST_H = arraylist.h
 BOOL_ARRAY_H = bool-array.h bool-array.icc $(OPTIONS_H)
 HASH_TABLE_H = hash-table.h $(KEYWORD_H)
 SEARCH_H = search.h $(KEYWORD_LIST_H) $(POSITIONS_H) $(BOOL_ARRAY_H)
@@ -109,11 +121,13 @@ keyword-list.$(OBJEXT): keyword-list.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(KEYWORD_LIST_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/keyword-list.cc
 input.$(OBJEXT): input.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(INPUT_H) $(OPTIONS_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/input.cc
+arraylist.$(OBJEXT): arraylist.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(ARRAYLIST_H)
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/arraylist.cc
 bool-array.$(OBJEXT): bool-array.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(BOOL_ARRAY_H) $(OPTIONS_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/bool-array.cc
 hash-table.$(OBJEXT): hash-table.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(HASH_TABLE_H) $(OPTIONS_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/hash-table.cc
-search.$(OBJEXT): search.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(SEARCH_H) $(OPTIONS_H) $(HASH_TABLE_H)
+search.$(OBJEXT): search.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(SEARCH_H) $(OPTIONS_H) $(HASH_TABLE_H) $(ARRAYLIST_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/search.cc
 output.$(OBJEXT): output.cc $(CONFIG_H) $(OUTPUT_H) $(OPTIONS_H) $(VERSION_H)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(srcdir)/output.cc
@@ -151,6 +165,7 @@ SOURCE_FILES = \
   keyword.cc $(KEYWORD_H) \
   keyword-list.cc $(KEYWORD_LIST_H) \
   input.cc $(INPUT_H) \
+  arraylist.cc $(ARRAYLIST_H) \
   bool-array.cc $(BOOL_ARRAY_H) \
   hash-table.cc $(HASH_TABLE_H) \
   search.cc $(SEARCH_H) \

src/arraylist.cc

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/* This may look like C code, but it is really -*- C++ -*- */
+
+/* Array-list container.
+
+   Copyright (C) 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Written by Bruno Haible <bruno@clisp.org>.
+
+   This file is part of GNU GPERF.
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#include <config.h>
+
+/* Specification. */
+#include "arraylist.h"
+
+#include <new>
+
+void ArrayListRepresentation::ensure_capacity (size_t n, size_t size_of_T)
+{
+  size_t new_max = 2 * _nitems_max + 1;
+  if (new_max < n)
+    new_max = n;
+  void *new_item = realloc (_item, new_max * size_of_T);
+  if (new_item == NULL)
+    throw std::bad_alloc();
+  /* The realloc() call has moved the elements from the old storage to the
+     new storage. The old storage is thus now considered uninitialized.  */
+  _item = new_item;
+  _nitems_max = new_max;
+}

src/arraylist.h

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+/* This may look like C code, but it is really -*- C++ -*- */
+
+/* Array-list container.
+
+   Copyright (C) 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Written by Bruno Haible <bruno@clisp.org>.
+
+   This file is part of GNU GPERF.
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#ifndef arraylist_h
+#define arraylist_h 1
+
+#include <stdlib.h>  /* defines size_t, malloc(), realloc(), free(), abort() */
+#include <new>
+#if __cplusplus >= 201103L
+# include <type_traits>
+#endif
+
+/* ArrayList<T> is a list of elements of type T, stored contiguously in memory
+   (in order to make good use of memory caches in a CPU).
+   T must be a type whose contents may be freely moved in memory (i.e. without
+   fields that contain backpointers to the element itself).
+   It is like std::vector<T>, but we don't want the bloated C++ standard
+   library.
+   It is like gnulib's "gl_list.hh" with the GL_ARRAY_LIST implementation.
+   But here we don't want polymorphic containers (that force function calls at
+   runtime); instead we want optimal inlining.  */
+
+/* In order to avoid the need for explicit instantiation for each possible
+   template parameter, we make the class ArrayList<T> entirely inline.
+   The class ArrayListRepresentation is used to attach methods which we want
+   to be compiled only once, avoiding duplicated code for each possible
+   template parameter.  */
+
+class ArrayListRepresentation
+{
+  template <class T>
+    friend class ArrayList;
+public:
+  // ------------------------------ Constructors ------------------------------
+
+  ArrayListRepresentation ()
+  {
+    _item = NULL;
+    _nitems = 0;
+    _nitems_max = 0;
+  }
+
+  // ------------------------------ Private stuff ------------------------------
+
+private:
+  /* Vector of entries.  */
+  void *                _item;
+  /* Number of elements of the vector that are used.  */
+  size_t                _nitems;
+  /* Number of elements of the vector that can be used at most.  */
+  size_t                _nitems_max;
+
+  /* Ensures that _nitems_max >= n.
+     To be called only when _nitems_max < n.  */
+  void                  ensure_capacity (size_t n, size_t size_of_T);
+};
+
+template <class T>
+  class ArrayList
+  {
+  public:
+    // ----------------------------- Constructors -----------------------------
+
+    /* Creates a new ArrayList<T> with 0 elements,
+       with no storage allocated initially.  */
+    ArrayList ()
+      : _rep () {}
+
+    // ------------------------------ Destructor ------------------------------
+
+    ~ArrayList ()
+    {
+      if (_rep._item != NULL)
+        {
+          /* Destruct the elements (in the opposite order of their
+             initialization).  */
+          #if __cplusplus >= 201103L
+          /* See <https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/types/is_destructible>.  */
+          if (! std::is_trivially_destructible<T>::value)
+          #endif
+            {
+              size_t index = _rep._nitems;
+              while (index > 0)
+                {
+                  --index;
+                  (static_cast<T *>(_rep._item))[index].~T ();
+                }
+            }
+          /* Free the storage.  */
+          free (_rep._item);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // ---------------------- Read-only member functions ----------------------
+
+    /* Returns the current number of elements in the list.  */
+    size_t size () const
+    {
+      return _rep._nitems;
+    }
+
+    T& get_at (size_t index) const
+    {
+      #if !__OPTIMIZE__
+      if (index >= _rep._nitems)
+        /* index out of range.  */
+        abort ();
+      #endif
+      return (static_cast<T *>(_rep._item))[index];
+    }
+
+    // ---------------------- Modifying member functions ----------------------
+
+    void set_at (size_t index, const T& value)
+    {
+      #if !__OPTIMIZE__
+      if (index >= _rep._nitems)
+        /* index out of range.  */
+        abort ();
+      #endif
+      (static_cast<T *>(_rep._item))[index] = value;
+    }
+
+    size_t add_last (const T& value)
+    {
+      if (_rep._nitems == _rep._nitems_max)
+        ensure_capacity (_rep._nitems + 1);
+      size_t index = _rep._nitems;
+      new (&(static_cast<T *>(_rep._item))[index]) T (value);
+      _rep._nitems++;
+      return index;
+    }
+
+    // ----------------------------- Private stuff -----------------------------
+
+  private:
+    /* Here, the vector of entries is a 'T *', but only the first _nitems
+       elements are initialized.  The remaining memory is uninitialized.  */
+    ArrayListRepresentation _rep;
+
+    /* Ensures that _nitems_max >= n.
+       To be called only when _nitems_max < n.  */
+    void                ensure_capacity (size_t n)
+    {
+      _rep.ensure_capacity (n, sizeof (T));
+    }
+  };
+
+#endif

src/search.cc

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "gl_map.hh"
 #include "gl_hash_map.h"
 #include "options.h"
+#include "arraylist.h"
 #include "hash-table.h"
 
 /* ============================== Portability ============================== */
@@ -948,12 +949,12 @@ Search::prepare_asso_values ()
 struct EquivalenceClass
 {
   /* The keywords in this equivalence class.  */
-  KeywordExt_List *     _keywords;
+  ArrayList<KeywordExt*> _keywords;
-  KeywordExt_List *     _keywords_last;
-  /* The number of keywords in this equivalence class.  */
-  unsigned int          _cardinality;
 
   EquivalenceClass *    _next;
+
+  /* Constructor.  */
+  EquivalenceClass () : _keywords () {}
 };
 
 struct Step
@@ -1046,9 +1047,6 @@ Search::compute_partition (bool *undetermined) const
       if (equclass == NULL)
         {
           equclass = new EquivalenceClass();
-          equclass->_keywords = NULL;
-          equclass->_keywords_last = NULL;
-          equclass->_cardinality = 0;
           equclass->_next = NULL;
 
           /* Map this keyword (and all equivalent ones that will be seen later)
@@ -1063,13 +1061,7 @@ Search::compute_partition (bool *undetermined) const
         }
 
       /* Add the keyword to the equivalence class.  */
-      KeywordExt_List *cons = new KeywordExt_List(keyword);
+      equclass->_keywords.add_last (keyword);
-      if (equclass->_keywords)
-        equclass->_keywords_last->rest() = cons;
-      else
-        equclass->_keywords = cons;
-      equclass->_keywords_last = cons;
-      equclass->_cardinality++;
     }
 
   return partition;
@@ -1082,7 +1074,6 @@ delete_partition (EquivalenceClass *partition)
     {
       EquivalenceClass *equclass = partition;
       partition = equclass->_next;
-      delete_list (equclass->_keywords);
       delete equclass;
     }
 }
@@ -1104,9 +1095,10 @@ Search::count_possible_collisions (EquivalenceClass *partition, unsigned int c)
       for (unsigned int i = 0; i <= m; i++)
         split_cardinalities[i] = 0;
 
-      for (KeywordExt_List *temp = cls->_keywords; temp; temp = temp->rest())
+      size_t cls_size = cls->_keywords.size();
+      for (size_t index = 0; index < cls_size; index++)
         {
-          KeywordExt *keyword = temp->first();
+          KeywordExt *keyword = cls->_keywords.get_at(index);
 
           unsigned int count = 0;
           for (int i = 0; i < keyword->_selchars_length; i++)
@@ -1116,7 +1108,7 @@ Search::count_possible_collisions (EquivalenceClass *partition, unsigned int c)
           split_cardinalities[count]++;
         }
 
-      sum += cls->_cardinality * cls->_cardinality;
+      sum += cls->_keywords.size() * cls->_keywords.size();
       for (unsigned int i = 0; i <= m; i++)
         sum -= split_cardinalities[i] * split_cardinalities[i];
     }
@@ -1133,16 +1125,17 @@ Search::unchanged_partition (EquivalenceClass *partition, unsigned int c) const
     {
       unsigned int first_count = UINT_MAX;
 
-      for (KeywordExt_List *temp = cls->_keywords; temp; temp = temp->rest())
+      size_t cls_size = cls->_keywords.size();
+      for (size_t index = 0; index < cls_size; index++)
         {
-          KeywordExt *keyword = temp->first();
+          KeywordExt *keyword = cls->_keywords.get_at(index);
 
           unsigned int count = 0;
           for (int i = 0; i < keyword->_selchars_length; i++)
             if (keyword->_selchars[i] == c)
               count++;
 
-          if (temp == cls->_keywords)
+          if (index == 0)
             first_count = count;
           else if (count != first_count)
             /* c would split this equivalence class.  */
@@ -1295,9 +1288,10 @@ Search::find_asso_values ()
           for (EquivalenceClass *cls = step->_partition; cls; cls = cls->_next)
             {
               fprintf (stderr, "\n");
-              for (KeywordExt_List *temp = cls->_keywords; temp; temp = temp->rest())
+              size_t cls_size = cls->_keywords.size();
+              for (size_t index = 0; index < cls_size; index++)
                 {
-                  KeywordExt *keyword = temp->first();
+                  KeywordExt *keyword = cls->_keywords.get_at(index);
                   fprintf (stderr, "  %.*s\n",
                            keyword->_allchars_length, keyword->_allchars);
                 }
@@ -1347,9 +1341,10 @@ Search::find_asso_values ()
               /* Iteration Number array is a win, O(1) initialization time!  */
               _collision_detector->clear ();
 
-              for (KeywordExt_List *ptr = cls->_keywords; ptr; ptr = ptr->rest())
+              size_t cls_size = cls->_keywords.size();
+              for (size_t index = 0; index < cls_size; index++)
                 {
-                  KeywordExt *keyword = ptr->first();
+                  KeywordExt *keyword = cls->_keywords.get_at(index);
 
                   /* Compute the new hash code for the keyword, leaving apart
                      the yet undetermined asso_values[].  */