Hidden Overhead of a Function API

Explore the often-overlooked performance implications of function signatures in C++ programming through this conference talk from CppCon 2024. Delve into the intersection of API design and code performance, focusing on how ABI specifications affect assembly code generation across common platforms. Learn about crucial performance considerations when designing function signatures, including detailed analysis of value vs. output parameter returns, value vs. reference parameter passing, and the real runtime costs of supposedly zero-overhead abstractions like std::unique_ptr and std::span. Drawing from over 15 years of competitive programming experience, Software Engineer Oleksandr Bacherikov from Snap Inc. provides practical insights into optimizing function APIs for maximum performance while maintaining clean, generic implementations.