I've used it and not noticed any performance hit, but I wasn't looking for one
STL is not intrinsicly inefficient, it depends how you use it. Performance is a tricky thing - yet another 80-20 rule, 80% of the processing is done in 20% of the code, chances are you're going to optimise something in the 80% that didn't really matter. Profiling is the best way to find bottle necks.
The first part of this sentence if plain wrong, whereas the second part is true. STL is NOT intrinsically inefficient!!
The algorithms and containers in the STL library where designed to be efficient. In the documentation of the STL library (Standard Template Library Programmer's Guide) you can also find the complexity specifications for the various algorithms which should make it easier to find the right algorithm for your task. If you have a performance problem when using the STL library it is very likely that you chose the wrong container class or the wrong algorithm.
off topic...
if you are using simple performance-based delay loops then under/overclocking will break your game. you should be using clock-based timing.
off topic...
if you are using simple performance-based delay loops then under/overclocking will break your game. you should be using clock-based timing.
int LastTickCount = SDL_GetTicks();
while (!bQuit)
{
while(LastTickCount + 12 > SDL_GetTicks());
LastTickCount = SDL_GetTicks();
Ok, I should define the 12. And not 100% accurate, but I don't want to to be to complicated, or to go insane when it actualy takes longer then 12ms to run trough the mainloop (because that's quite possible with my game).
In the beginning that loop wasn't there, because I thouged it wouldn't run that fast