Does the implementation of system call matter for the programmer?

[Eus]

Hi Ho!

"To a programmer, a system call looks like any other call to a library procedure. Is it important that a programmer know which library procedures result in system calls? Under what circumstances and why?"

I think it is important for a programmer to know which library procedures result in system calls for the following reasons:

1. when the programmer would like to port the library procedures to another platform, he must be aware whether the platform to which the programmer is going to port the procedures has the equivalent system calls that are needed or not. If not, the programmer must determine what library procedures he should hack so that the programmer can port the procedures successfully.

2. ?

Maybe you have other ideas?

Thank you.

Regards,
Eus

 

[fonik]

One reason is that system calls are really, really slow. Just like you wouldn't want to cache data on the hard drive, you would want to avoid functions with system calls for operations that require speed.

 

[ravenprp]

Hi Eus,

Thank you for your response. I agree with your points about the importance of a programmer knowing which library procedures result in system calls. I would also add that understanding system calls can help a programmer optimize their code for performance. By knowing which procedures result in system calls, a programmer can avoid unnecessary system calls and improve the efficiency of their code.

Additionally, knowing which library procedures result in system calls can also help a programmer troubleshoot and debug their code. If a program is experiencing unexpected behavior, knowing which system calls are being made can provide valuable insight into the root cause of the issue.

In summary, understanding system calls is important for a programmer in order to ensure portability, optimize performance, and troubleshoot code. It is a crucial aspect of programming that should not be overlooked.