diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'tex/context/base/mkiv/context-performance.tex')
-rw-r--r-- | tex/context/base/mkiv/context-performance.tex | 51 |
1 files changed, 51 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/tex/context/base/mkiv/context-performance.tex b/tex/context/base/mkiv/context-performance.tex new file mode 100644 index 000000000..c012c992c --- /dev/null +++ b/tex/context/base/mkiv/context-performance.tex @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +% language=uk + +\usemodule[art-01,abr-01] + +\starttext + +If you use \PDFTEX, \XETEX\ and \LUATEX\ you will notice a difference in speed. +Don't draw conclusions too easily from simple tests like: + +\starttyping +\dorecurse{1000}{test\page} +\stoptyping + +or (also tests the file system): + +\starttyping +\dorecurse{1000}{\input tufte\blank} +\stoptyping + +The wide engines \XETEX\ and \LUATEX\ have more work to do than \PDFTEX, because +the input is \UTF\ and \UNICODE\ fonts are used. Of course running \PDFTEX\ on +extensive \UTF\ input will compensate it a bit. + +Comparing \XETEX\ and \PDFTEX\ (using \MKII) and \LUATEX\ (using \MKIV) is kind +of useless anyway because the \LUATEX\ with \MKIV\ combination is not only doing +more advanced things, which costs time, but at the other hand has more efficient +alternatives, like for instance using \MPLIB, which gains a lot. + +So, it's best to compare speeds with a mixed content document: multiple fonts, +text and math, images, \METAPOST\ graphics, structural components, tables, etc. + +On the average \PDFTEX\ is the fastest, but offering less functionality, while +\LUATEX\ with \MKIV\ is faster than \XETEX\ with \MKII. On complex products like +the \METAFUN\ manual or when processing complex \XML\ files a \LUATEX\ is much +faster than a \PDFTEX\ run. + +There is some startup time involved which is normally not that much, and initial +font loading is also not really a burden, but of course for a few page document +it brings down the number of pages processed per second. Normalizing the input +takes a bit but applying \OPENTYPE\ font features takes much more. If you find +unacceptable bottlenecks just let me know (but better first check performance in +the other engines). Of course inefficient coding of styles (massive font switches +where a simple one could do) are no reason for a complaint. + +A lot of time went into making sure that \CONTEXT\ runs efficiently on \LUATEX\ +and we keep improving the performance. This is not so much an engine issue but +more one of the macro package. Of course what is true for \CONTEXT\ \MKIV\ can be +different for other macro packages but comparing with them makes no sense because +the differences in functionality. + +\stoptext |