How do I avoid branch mispredictions in C++?

Branch mispredictions can negatively impact performance in C++. This guide outlines techniques to help minimize these mispredictions, enhancing the efficiency of your programs.

branch misprediction, C++ optimization, performance improvement

// Example of avoiding branch mispredictions in C++
#include 
#include 

// Function to process a large dataset based on a condition
void processData(const std::vector& data) {
    // Preallocate counter
    int count = 0;

    // Optimizing loop to avoid branches
    for (const auto& value : data) {
        // Instead of an if-statement that could cause mispredictions, 
        // we perform operations based on the result directly.
        count += (value > 10) ? 1 : 0;
    }

    std::cout << "Count of values greater than 10: " << count << std::endl;
}

int main() {
    std::vector data = {1, 5, 12, 18, 3, 11, 7, 4, 15};
    processData(data);
    return 0;
}
    

branch misprediction C++ optimization performance improvement