Hi Eliot.

Generally, comparing VisualWorks to either Squeak or Pharo or both, what are the most pressing speed problems?

1. ��Double-click text selection in both Squeak and Pharo shows a 75-100 ms latency (eye-balled, estimated) between end of double click (button up on second click) and time of highlighting of selected text.�� It could be as low as 60 ms, but I doubt it, and that���s still too long. ��I can���t track the latency in VW 8.3.2. ��It���s too short, probably 30 ms or less, and is under my noise floor.�� Notepad latencies are even lower.�� The difference between VW and Notepad is not enough to complain about.�� Neither is noticeable in passing.�� The difference between VW and Pharo/Squeak latencies is a little painful/distracting.�� It���s very much in your face, and you are keenly aware that you are waiting for something to happen before you can resume your thoughts about the code.

2.�� Stepping in the Pharo debugger is slow (Squeak is fine).�� The latencies between the step-click event and selection of the next evaluable is a solid 100 ms (again estimated).�� Feels more like 150-175 ms much of the time.�� This is actually hard to work with.��

 Where is VisualWorks significantly faster than either Squeak or Pharo?  

VW 8.3.2 faster:

1. Text selection.��

2. Repeat-key rate in VW is smoother (not perfect; I see a few pauses).�� Pharos repeat-key rate is the same or a little slower, there are more pauses, and distribution of those pause-times is slightly wider for Pharo 9, as if event flow isn���t as smooth as it could be (because text/cursor rendering is a not efficient?).�� This is a minor issue, not a practical problem.�� I did the test in a workspace in both cases.

Pharo 9 same or faster:

Everything else in the GUI, like window openings/closings, menu openings/closings work at nearly the same speed, or Pharo 9 is faster.

Opening a system browser in VW 8.3.2 and Pharo 9 takes about the same time. ��If you scrutinize, you can see that Pharo system browser open times are often about 2/3 to 4/5 of the VW times.�� This action is never faster in VW.��

Popup menus in Pharo 9 are noticeably faster than those in VW 8.3.2.�� ��Instant--delightful.

Specifically which VisualWorks VM or lower level facilities are much faster than the Cog VM?  Do you have benchmarks?

No, I don���t, but I find subject interesting, and would like to pursue it.�� I���m trying to get some pressing work done in VW (as I contemplate jumping ship to Pharo/Squeak).�� It���s not a good time for excursions, but here I am playing with Squeak/Pharo, anyway.�� I want to dig deeper at some future date.

Do you have a specific procedure you like to use when benchmarking the VW VM?��

Shaping