I like the end result. However, it makes me wonder just why it's so acceptable that simple programs like this even compile down to a 160KB executable in the first place.
The actual active code is essentially some text and an interrupt. That much, at least, should be language independent. Are modern compilers incapable of discarding unreferenced code, or am I missing something?
The first compilation, which is 160 KB, is totally unoptimized, contains all kinds of debugging and checks. It's just supposed to be for yourself during development of the program.
The actual active code is essentially some text and an interrupt. That much, at least, should be language independent. Are modern compilers incapable of discarding unreferenced code, or am I missing something?