I've just started learning C++, and I've noticed that even basic commands like `std::cout << "Hello World";` take a ridiculous amount of time—around 15 seconds—to give me an output. I'm using VS Code and have installed the Code Runner. I believe my compilers are installed correctly, and I've followed the usual YouTube tutorials, but I still can't figure out why it's taking so long to execute. Any suggestions?
5 Answers
Try executing the program manually instead of hitting the run button in the IDE. Sometimes, the boilerplate code in VS Code might slow things down, or your machine might be struggling to execute the commands properly.
Are you referring to the execution time or the complete compile and execute time? That can make a difference in diagnosing the issue.
It's the full compile + execute time.
It could very well be your hardware. What kind of specs are you working with? Programming tools can be quite demanding on disk I/O and memory, so if you have limited RAM or slow hard drives, it could really impact performance.
It sounds like your program is taking a long time to compile rather than execute. When you run a simple line of code, it pulls in a lot of libraries from the iostream, which can slow down compilation. However, once compiled, the binary should run almost instantly. Maybe consider running the compiled executable directly to see if that speeds things up.
Even with compilation included, it shouldn't take that long. On a low-end PC, it should be around 2-3 seconds, not 15.
Remember that C++ is a compiled language, meaning the compiler translates your code into something executable. If VS Code is recompiling every time you run it, that could cause delays. If you're still experiencing significant delays, sharing your PC specs may help diagnose the issue.
Thanks for the tip!