https://heather.cafe/posts/too_much_xor_swap_trick/
Article
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Post examines the XOR swap trick: swapping two vars without a temp variable
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Compiler spotted and optimized the pattern, making benchmarking moot
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Broader look at XOR’s mathematical properties and practical uses
Discussion
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XOR’s real value: erasure coding (a^b^c parity for packet recovery)
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Undefined-behavior form
a^=b^=a^=b called out as dangerous competitive-programming relic
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SSE/SIMD conditional swap via XOR+mask cited as a genuinely useful application
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Consensus: trick is obsolete; compilers handle it better
Discuss on HN