Hi,

I'm currently studying Beginning Visual C++ 2005. I must admit that Mr.Horton is now one of my idols.

I might have a complex but interesting problem to share with him. It mainly involves advanced array techniques. I need to find real fast means of iterating several 10000 times as fast as possible.

In (possibly) hundreds of csv files, containing (possibly) thousands of records each, I'd like to find segments based on certain some criterias. Each record is little over 1 second long (that's for the time dimension) and contains quantitative data (mainly power value expressed in watts and speed in mph and the like).

One example of a segment would be:

Average value over 100, less than 150 as long as it's at least 10min long, no more than 20min long. Problem is that the algorithm must allow for running under or over the range (100-150) for a limited time. For instance, the average at any given point in the segment could go as low as 80 or 90 without closing the segment, as long as the period of time "off" the segment isn't longer than 1 minute.

Of course, once I start main, I have no clue of knowing in advance what I mind find, possibly leaving room for recursion. I tried a 100% recursive approach in the past with VB6, ran out of stack after only 3600 calls. Switched everything for iterations, I managed to go pretty far, but I reach a point where the mere fact of adding an argument or two to a function would introduce major speed issues that seemed to grow exponential.

I can definitely solve this problem by myself with C++, but I feel that sharing this problem with Mr.Horton would certainly be an experience I would not forget. The result would probably be lighter and more importantly, faster.

If you read my post, and work for Wrox, I would greatly appreciate that you drop an email to Mr.Horton to tell him about my special request.

Kindest regards,
Charles G. Couturier
[email protected]