Introducing soagen: A Structure-of-Arrays Generator and Library for C++

2023/08/01

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The article introduces soagen, a new Structure-Of-Arrays (SoA) generator and library for C++17 and later. It explains the motivation behind using SoA and the problems with the typical Array-of-Structures (AoS) data layout. While the AoS layout is useful for accessing multiple data members, it can be inefficient when manipulating a single field from many objects. The article uses the example of calculating the total labor cost of a company to illustrate this issue. Soagen provides a solution by generating SoA layouts, where data is organized into separate arrays based on their types, allowing for more efficient access to specific fields. It is particularly useful in scenarios like game engines, where rendering large numbers of entities can be expensive. The article also highlights that soagen is compatible with C++17 and later versions, making it accessible to a wide range of developers. Overall, soagen offers a valuable tool for developers looking to optimize data layouts and improve performance in their C++ programs.