Least CPU intensive loop

Question

This loop is very CPU intensive:

While 1
    $msg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $msg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            GUIDelete()
            Exit
        Case $control1
            Func1()
        Case $control2
            Func2()
    EndSwitch
WEnd

This is what I always used. I know there are other ways, but which one is least CPU intensive?

Answer 1

I ran into this problem using a Switch/Case as well. I thought making code tighter and changing to Select/Case would lower CPU usage. What I ultimately did was trap the script in a Do/Until loop.

This excerpt is from a script which lives in the taskbar and always runs. Users interact by clicking and selecting from the context menu I created. That kicks off a respective function.

While 1
    Do
        $msg = TrayGetMsg()
    Until $msg <> 0
    Select
        Case $msg = $ItemDeviceModel
            DeviceModel()
        Case $msg = $ItemSerial
            SerialNumber()
        Case $msg = $ExitItem
            Exit
    EndSelect
WEnd

In this example the script loops in the quick and easy Do/Until (which is waiting for a user to click the application icon). After the loop is broken the Select/Case runs.

Switch your code with:

While 1
    Do
        $msg = GUIGetMsg()
    Until $msg <> 0
    Switch $msg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            GUIDelete()
            Exit
        Case $control1
            Func1()
        Case $control2
            Func2()
    EndSwitch
WEnd