@c markers: CROSSREF BUG TODO @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, @c 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c This is part of the GCC manual. @c For copying conditions, see the file gcc.texi. @node Passes @chapter Passes and Files of the Compiler @cindex passes and files of the compiler @cindex files and passes of the compiler @cindex compiler passes and files This chapter is dedicated to giving an overview of the optimization and code generation passes of the compiler. In the process, it describes some of the language front end interface, though this description is no where near complete. @menu * Parsing pass:: The language front end turns text into bits. * Gimplification pass:: The bits are turned into something we can optimize. * Pass manager:: Sequencing the optimization passes. * Tree-SSA passes:: Optimizations on a high-level representation. * RTL passes:: Optimizations on a low-level representation. @end menu @node Parsing pass @section Parsing pass @cindex GENERIC @findex lang_hooks.parse_file The language front end is invoked only once, via @code{lang_hooks.parse_file}, to parse the entire input. The language front end may use any intermediate language representation deemed appropriate. The C front end uses GENERIC trees (CROSSREF), plus a double handful of language specific tree codes defined in @file{c-common.def}. The Fortran front end uses a completely different private representation. @cindex GIMPLE @cindex gimplification @cindex gimplifier @cindex language-independent intermediate representation @cindex intermediate representation lowering @cindex lowering, language-dependent intermediate representation At some point the front end must translate the representation used in the front end to a representation understood by the language-independent portions of the compiler. Current practice takes one of two forms. The C front end manually invokes the gimplifier (CROSSREF) on each function, and uses the gimplifier callbacks to convert the language-specific tree nodes directly to GIMPLE (CROSSREF) before passing the function off to be compiled. The Fortran front end converts from a private representation to GENERIC, which is later lowered to GIMPLE when the function is compiled. Which route to choose probably depends on how well GENERIC (plus extensions) can be made to match up with the source language and necessary parsing data structures. BUG: Gimplification must occur before nested function lowering, and nested function lowering must be done by the front end before passing the data off to cgraph. TODO: Cgraph should control nested function lowering. It would only be invoked when it is certain that the outer-most function is used. TODO: Cgraph needs a gimplify_function callback. It should be invoked when (1) it is certain that the function is used, (2) warning flags specified by the user require some amount of compilation in order to honor, (3) the language indicates that semantic analysis is not complete until gimplification occurs. Hum... this sounds overly complicated. Perhaps we should just have the front end gimplify always; in most cases it's only one function call. The front end needs to pass all function definitions and top level declarations off to the middle-end so that they can be compiled and emitted to the object file. For a simple procedural language, it is usually most convenient to do this as each top level declaration or definition is seen. There is also a distinction to be made between generating functional code and generating complete debug information. The only thing that is absolutely required for functional code is that function and data @emph{defintions} be passed to the middle-end. For complete debug information, function, data and type declarations should all be passed as well. @findex rest_of_decl_compilation @findex rest_of_type_compilation @findex cgraph_finalize_function In any case, the front end needs each complete top-level function or data declaration, and each data definition should be passed to @code{rest_of_decl_compilation}. Each complete type definition should be passed to @code{rest_of_type_compilation}. Each function definition should be passed to @code{cgraph_finalize_function}. TODO: I know rest_of_compilation currently has all sorts of rtl-generation semantics. I plan to move all code generation bits (both tree and rtl) to compile_function. Should we hide cgraph from the front ends and move back to rest_of_compilation as the official interface? Possibly we should rename all three interfaces such that the names match in some meaningful way and that is more descriptive than "rest_of". The middle-end will, at its option, emit the function and data definitions immediately or queue them for later processing. @node Gimplification pass @section Gimplification pass @cindex gimplification @cindex GIMPLE @dfn{Gimplification} is a whimsical term for the process of converting the intermediate representation of a function into the GIMPLE language (CROSSREF). The term stuck, and so words like ``gimplification,'' ``gimplify,'' ``gimplifier'' and the like are sprinkled throughout this section of code. @cindex GENERIC While a front end may certainly choose to generate GIMPLE directly if it chooses, this can be a moderately complex process unless the intermediate language used by the front end is already fairly simple. Usually it is easier to generate GENERIC trees plus extensions and let the language-independent gimplifier do most of the work. @findex gimplify_function_tree @findex gimplify_expr @findex lang_hooks.gimplify_expr The main entry point to this pass is @code{gimplify_function_tree} located in @file{gimplify.c}. From here we process the entire function gimplifying each statement in turn. The main workhorse for this pass is @code{gimplify_expr}. Approximately everything passes through here at least once, and it is from here that we invoke the @code{lang_hooks.gimplify_expr} callback. The callback should examine the expression in question and return @code{GS_UNHANDLED} if the expression is not a language specific construct that requires attention. Otherwise it should alter the expression in some way to such that forward progress is made toward producing valid GIMPLE. If the callback is certain that the transformation is complete and the expression is valid GIMPLE, it should return @code{GS_ALL_DONE}. Otherwise it should return @code{GS_OK}, which will cause the expression to be processed again. If the callback encounters an error during the transformation (because the front end is relying on the gimplification process to finish semantic checks), it should return @code{GS_ERROR}. @node Pass manager @section Pass manager The pass manager is located in @file{passes.c} and @file{passes.h}. Its job is to run all of the individual passes in the correct order, and take care of standard bookkeeping that applies to every pass. The theory of operation is that each pass defines a structure that represents everything we need to know about that pass --- when it should be run, how it should be run, what intermediate language form or on-the-side data structures it needs. We register the pass to be run in some particular order, and the pass manager arranges for everything to happen in the correct order. The actuality doesn't completely live up to the theory at present. Command-line switches and @code{timevar_id_t} enumerations must still be defined elsewhere. The pass manager validates constraints but does not attempt to (re-)generate data structures or lower intermediate language form based on the requirements of the next pass. Nevertheless, what is present is useful, and a far sight better than nothing at all. TODO: describe the global variables set up by the pass manager, and a brief description of how a new pass should use it. I need to look at what info rtl passes use first... @node Tree-SSA passes @section Tree-SSA passes The following briefly describes the tree optimization passes that are run after gimplification and what source files they are located in. @itemize @bullet @item Remove useless statements This pass is an extremely simple sweep across the gimple code in which we identify obviously dead code and remove it. Here we do things like simplify @code{if} statements with constant conditions, remove exception handling constructs surrounding code that obviously cannot throw, remove lexical bindings that contain no variables, and other assorted simplistic cleanups. The idea is to get rid of the obvious stuff quickly rather than wait until later when it's more work to get rid of it. This pass is located in @file{tree-cfg.c} and described by @code{pass_remove_useless_stmts}. @item Mudflap declaration registration If mudflap (@pxref{Optimize Options,,-fmudflap -fmudflapth -fmudflapir,gcc.info,Using the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC)}) is enabled, we generate code to register some variable declarations with the mudflap runtime. Specifically, the runtime tracks the lifetimes of those variable declarations that have their addresses taken, or whose bounds are unknown at compile time (@code{extern}). This pass generates new exception handling constructs (@code{try}/@code{finally}), and so must run before those are lowered. In addition, the pass enqueues declarations of static variables whose lifetimes extend to the entire program. The pass is located in @file{tree-mudflap.c} and is described by @code{pass_mudflap_1}. @item Lower control flow This pass flattens @code{if} statements (@code{COND_EXPR}) and and moves lexical bindings (@code{BIND_EXPR}) out of line. After this pass, all @code{if} statements will have exactly two @code{goto} statements in its @code{then} and @code{else} arms. Lexical binding information for each statement will be found in @code{TREE_BLOCK} rather than being inferred from its position under a @code{BIND_EXPR}. This pass is found in @file{gimple-low.c} and is described by @code{pass_lower_cf}. @item Lower exception handling control flow This pass decomposes high-level exception handling constructs (@code{TRY_FINALLY_EXPR} and @code{TRY_CATCH_EXPR}) into a form that explicitly represents the control flow involved. After this pass, @code{lookup_stmt_eh_region} will return a non-negative number for any statement that may have EH control flow semantics; examine @code{tree_can_throw_internal} or @code{tree_can_throw_external} for exact semantics. Exact control flow may be extracted from @code{foreach_reachable_handler}. The EH region nesting tree is defined in @file{except.h} and built in @file{except.c}. The lowering pass itself is in @file{tree-eh.c} and is described by @code{pass_lower_eh}. @item Build the control flow graph This pass decomposes a function into basic blocks and creates all of the edges that connect them. It is located in @file{tree-cfg.c} and is described by @code{pass_build_cfg}. @item Find all referenced variables This pass walks the entire function and collects an array of all variables referenced in the function, @code{referenced_vars}. The index at which a variable is found in the array is used as a UID for the variable within this function. This data is needed by the SSA rewriting routines. The pass is located in @file{tree-dfa.c} and is described by @code{pass_referenced_vars}. @item Points-to analysis This pass constructs flow-insensitive alias analysis information. The pass is located in @file{tree-alias-common.c} and described by @code{pass_build_pta}. @item Enter static single assignment form This pass rewrites the function such that it is in SSA form. After this pass, all @code{is_gimple_reg} variables will be referenced by @code{SSA_NAME}, and all occurences of other variables will be annotated with @code{VDEFS} and @code{VUSES}; phi nodes will have been inserted as necessary for each basic block. This pass is located in @file{tree-ssa.c} and is described by @code{pass_build_ssa}. @item Warn for uninitialized variables This pass scans the function for uses of @code{SSA_NAME}s that are fed by default definition. For non-parameter variables, such uses are uninitialized. The pass is run twice, before and after optimization. In the first pass we only warn for uses that are positively uninitialized; in the second pass we warn for uses that are possibly uninitialized. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa.c} and is defined by @code{pass_early_warn_uninitialized} and @code{pass_late_warn_uninitialized}. @item Dead code elimination This pass scans the function for statements without side effects whose result is unused. It does not do memory life analysis, so any value that is stored in memory is considered used. The pass is run multiple times throughout the optimization process. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-dce.c} and is described by @code{pass_dce}. @item Dominator optimizations This pass performs trivial dominator-based copy and constant propagation, expression simplification, and jump threading. It is run multiple times throughout the optimization process. It it located in @file{tree-ssa-dom.c} and is described by @code{pass_dominator}. @item Redundant phi elimination This pass removes phi nodes for which all of the arguments are the same value, excluding feedback. Such degenerate forms are typically created by removing unreachable code. The pass is run multiple times throughout the optimization process. It is located in @file{tree-ssa.c} and is described by @code{pass_redundant_phi}.o @item Forward propagation of single-use variables This pass attempts to remove redundant computation by substituting variables that are used once into the expression that uses them and seeing if the result can be simplified. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-forwprop.c} and is described by @code{pass_forwprop}. @item Copy Renaming This pass attempts to change the name of compiler temporaries involved in copy operations such that SSA->normal can coalesce the copy away. When compiler temporaries are copies of user variables, it also renames the compiler temporary to the user variable resulting in better use of user symbols. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-copyrename.c} and is described by @code{pass_copyrename}. @item PHI node optimizations This pass recognizes forms of phi inputs that can be represented as conditional expressions and rewrites them into straight line code. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-phiopt.c} and is described by @code{pass_phiopt}. @item May-alias optimization This pass performs a flow sensitive SSA-based points-to analysis. The resulting may-alias, must-alias, and escape analysis information is used to promote variables from in-memory addressable objects to non-aliased variables that can be renamed into SSA form. We also update the @code{VDEF}/@code{VUSE} memory tags for non-renamable aggregates so that we get fewer false kills. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa-alias.c} and is described by @code{pass_may_alias}. @item Profiling This pass rewrites the function in order to collect runtime block and value profiling data. Such data may be fed back into the compiler on a subsequent run so as to allow optimization based on expected execution frequencies. The pass is located in @file{predict.c} and is described by @code{pass_profile}. @item Lower complex arithmetic This pass rewrites complex arithmetic operations into their component scalar arithmetic operations. The pass is located in @file{tree-complex.c} and is described by @code{pass_lower_complex}. @item Scalar replacement of aggregates This pass rewrites suitable non-aliased local aggregate variables into a set of scalar variables. The resulting scalar variables are rewritten into SSA form, which allows subsequent optimization passes to do a significantly better job with them. The pass is located in @file{tree-sra.c} and is described by @code{pass_sra}. @item Dead store elimination This pass eliminates stores to memory that are subsequently overwritten by another store, without any intervening loads. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa-dse.c} and is described by @code{pass_dse}. @item Tail recursion elimination This pass transforms tail recursion into a loop. It is located in @file{tree-tailcall.c} and is described by @code{pass_tail_recursion}. @item Partial redundancy elimination This pass eliminates partially redundant computations, as well as performing load motion. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa-pre.c} and is described by @code{pass_pre}. @item Loop optimization TODO: Presumably we're going to do something with loops here. At present we don't, and this is a placeholder. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa-loop.c} and is described by @code{pass_loop}. @item Conditional constant propagation This pass relaxes a lattice of values in order to identify those that must be constant even in the presence of conditional branches. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa-ccp.c} and is described by @code{pass_ccp}. @item Folding builtin functions This pass simplifies builtin functions, as applicable, with constant arguments or with inferrable string lengths. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-ccp.c} and is described by @code{pass_fold_builtins}. @item Split critical edges This pass identifies critical edges and inserts empty basic blocks such that the edge is no longer critical. The pass is located in @file{tree-cfg.c} and is described by @code{pass_split_crit_edges}. @item Partial redundancy elimination This pass answers the question ``given a hypothetical temporary variable, what expressions could we eliminate?'' It is located in @file{tree-ssa-pre.c} and is described by @code{pass_pre}. @item Control dependence dead code elimination This pass is a stronger form of dead code elimination that can eliminate unnecessary control flow statements. It is located in @file{tree-ssa-dce.c} and is described by @code{pass_cd_dce}. @item Tail call elimination This pass identifies function calls that may be rewritten into jumps. No code transformation is actually applied here, but the data and control flow problem is solved. The code transformation requires target support, and so is delayed until RTL. In the meantime @code{CALL_EXPR_TAILCALL} is set indicating the possibility. The pass is located in @file{tree-tailcall.c} and is described by @code{pass_tail_calls}. The RTL transformation is handled by @code{fixup_tail_calls} in @file{calls.c}. @item Warn for function return without value For non-void functions, this pass locates return statements that do not specify a value and issues a warning. Such a statement may have been injected by falling off the end of the function. This pass is run last so that we have as much time as possible to prove that the statement is not reachable. It is located in @file{tree-cfg.c} and is described by @code{pass_warn_function_return}. @item Mudflap statement annotation If mudflap is enabled, we rewrite some memory accesses with code to validate that the memory access is correct. In particular, expressions involving pointer dereferences (@code{INDIRECT_REF}, @code{ARRAY_REF}, etc.) are replaced by code that checks the selected address range against the mudflap runtime's database of valid regions. This check includes an inline lookup into a direct-mapped cache, based on shift/mask operations of the pointer value, with a fallback function call into the runtime. The pass is located in @file{tree-mudflap.c} and is described by @code{pass_mudflap_2}. @item Leave static single assignment form This pass rewrites the function such that it is in normal form. At the same time, we eliminate as many single-use temporaries as possible, so the intermediate language is no longer GIMPLE, but GENERIC. The pass is located in @file{tree-ssa.c} and is described by @code{pass_del_ssa}. @end itemize @node RTL passes @section RTL passes The following briefly describes the rtl generation and optimization passes that are run after tree optimization. @itemize @bullet @item RTL generation @c Avoiding overfull is tricky here. The source files for RTL generation include @file{stmt.c}, @file{calls.c}, @file{expr.c}, @file{explow.c}, @file{expmed.c}, @file{function.c}, @file{optabs.c} and @file{emit-rtl.c}. Also, the file @file{insn-emit.c}, generated from the machine description by the program @code{genemit}, is used in this pass. The header file @file{expr.h} is used for communication within this pass. @findex genflags @findex gencodes The header files @file{insn-flags.h} and @file{insn-codes.h}, generated from the machine description by the programs @code{genflags} and @code{gencodes}, tell this pass which standard names are available for use and which patterns correspond to them. @item Generate exception handling landing pads This pass generates the glue that handles communication between the exception handling library routines and the exception handlers within the function. Entry points in the function that are invoked by the exception handling library are called @dfn{landing pads}. The code for this pass is located within @file{except.c}. @item Cleanup control flow graph This pass removes unreachable code, simplifies jumps to next, jumps to jump, jumps across jumps, etc. The pass is run multiple times. For historical reasons, it is occasionally referred to as the ``jump optimization pass''. The bulk of the code for this pass is in @file{cfgcleanup.c}, and there are support routines in @file{cfgrtl.c} and @file{jump.c}. @item Common subexpression elimination This pass removes redundant computation within basic blocks, and optimizes addressing modes based on cost. The pass is run twice. The source is located in @file{cse.c}. @item Global common subexpression elimination. This pass performs two different types of GCSE depending on whether you are optimizing for size or not (LCM based GCSE tends to increase code size for a gain in speed, while Morel-Renvoise based GCSE does not). When optimizing for size, GCSE is done using Morel-Renvoise Partial Redundancy Elimination, with the exception that it does not try to move invariants out of loops---that is left to the loop optimization pass. If MR PRE GCSE is done, code hoisting (aka unification) is also done, as well as load motion. If you are optimizing for speed, LCM (lazy code motion) based GCSE is done. LCM is based on the work of Knoop, Ruthing, and Steffen. LCM based GCSE also does loop invariant code motion. We also perform load and store motion when optimizing for speed. Regardless of which type of GCSE is used, the GCSE pass also performs global constant and copy propagation. The source file for this pass is @file{gcse.c}, and the LCM routines are in @file{lcm.c}. @item Loop optimization This pass moves constant expressions out of loops, and optionally does strength-reduction and loop unrolling as well. Its source files are @file{loop.c} and @file{unroll.c}, plus the header @file{loop.h} used for communication between them. Loop unrolling uses some functions in @file{integrate.c} and the header @file{integrate.h}. Loop dependency analysis routines are contained in @file{dependence.c}. This pass is seriously out-of-date and is supposed to be replaced by a new one described below in near future. A second loop optimization pass takes care of basic block level optimizations---unrolling, peeling and unswitching loops. The source files are @file{cfgloopanal.c} and @file{cfgloopmanip.c} containing generic loop analysis and manipulation code, @file{loop-init.c} with initialization and finalization code, @file{loop-unswitch.c} for loop unswitching and @file{loop-unroll.c} for loop unrolling and peeling. It also contains a separate loop invariant motion pass implemented in @file{loop-invariant.c}. @item Jump bypassing This pass is an aggressive form of GCSE that transforms the control flow graph of a function by propagating constants into conditional branch instructions. The source file for this pass is @file{gcse.c}. @item If conversion This pass attempts to replace conditional branches and surrounding assignments with arithmetic, boolean value producing comparison instructions, and conditional move instructions. In the very last invocation after reload, it will generate predicated instructions when supported by the target. The pass is located in @file{ifcvt.c}. @item Web construction This pass splits independent uses of each pseudo-register. This can improve effect of the other transformation, such as CSE or register allocation. Its source files are @file{web.c}. @item Life analysis This pass computes which pseudo-registers are live at each point in the program, and makes the first instruction that uses a value point at the instruction that computed the value. It then deletes computations whose results are never used, and combines memory references with add or subtract instructions to make autoincrement or autodecrement addressing. The pass is located in @file{flow.c}. @item Instruction combination This pass attempts to combine groups of two or three instructions that are related by data flow into single instructions. It combines the RTL expressions for the instructions by substitution, simplifies the result using algebra, and then attempts to match the result against the machine description. The pass is located in @file{combine.c}. @item Register movement This pass looks for cases where matching constraints would force an instruction to need a reload, and this reload would be a register-to-register move. It then attempts to change the registers used by the instruction to avoid the move instruction. The pass is located in @file{regmove.c}. @item Optimize mode switching This pass looks for instructions that require the processor to be in a specific ``mode'' and minimizes the number of mode changes required to satisfy all users. What these modes are, and what they apply to are completely target-specific. The source is located in @file{lcm.c}. @cindex modulo scheduling @cindex sms, swing, software pipelining @item Modulo scheduling This pass looks at innermost loops and reorders their instructions by overlapping different iterations. Modulo scheduling is performed immediately before instruction scheduling. The pass is located in (@file{modulo-sched.c}). @item Instruction scheduling This pass looks for instructions whose output will not be available by the time that it is used in subsequent instructions. Memory loads and floating point instructions often have this behavior on RISC machines. It re-orders instructions within a basic block to try to separate the definition and use of items that otherwise would cause pipeline stalls. This pass is performed twice, before and after register allocation. The pass is located in @file{haifa-sched.c}, @file{sched-deps.c}, @file{sched-ebb.c}, @file{sched-rgn.c} and @file{sched-vis.c}. @item Register allocation These passes make sure that all occurrences of pseudo registers are eliminated, either by allocating them to a hard register, replacing them by an equivalent expression (e.g.@: a constant) or by placing them on the stack. This is done in several subpasses: @itemize @bullet @item Register class preferencing. The RTL code is scanned to find out which register class is best for each pseudo register. The source file is @file{regclass.c}. @item Local register allocation. This pass allocates hard registers to pseudo registers that are used only within one basic block. Because the basic block is linear, it can use fast and powerful techniques to do a decent job. The source is located in @file{local-alloc.c}. @item Global register allocation. This pass allocates hard registers for the remaining pseudo registers (those whose life spans are not contained in one basic block). The pass is located in @file{global.c}. @item Graph coloring register allocator. The files @file{ra.c}, @file{ra-build.c}, @file{ra-colorize.c}, @file{ra-debug.c}, @file{ra-rewrite.c} together with the header @file{ra.h} contain another register allocator, which is used when the option @option{-fnew-ra} is given. In that case it is run instead of the above mentioned local and global register allocation passes. @cindex reloading @item Reloading. This pass renumbers pseudo registers with the hardware registers numbers they were allocated. Pseudo registers that did not get hard registers are replaced with stack slots. Then it finds instructions that are invalid because a value has failed to end up in a register, or has ended up in a register of the wrong kind. It fixes up these instructions by reloading the problematical values temporarily into registers. Additional instructions are generated to do the copying. The reload pass also optionally eliminates the frame pointer and inserts instructions to save and restore call-clobbered registers around calls. Source files are @file{reload.c} and @file{reload1.c}, plus the header @file{reload.h} used for communication between them. @end itemize @item Basic block reordering This pass implements profile guided code positioning. If profile information is not available, various types of static analysis are performed to make the predictions normally coming from the profile feedback (IE execution frequency, branch probability, etc). It is implemented in the file @file{bb-reorder.c}, and the various prediction routines are in @file{predict.c}. @item Variable tracking This pass computes where the variables are stored at each position in code and generates notes describing the variable locations to RTL code. The location lists are then generated according to these notes to debug information if the debugging information format supports location lists. @item Delayed branch scheduling This optional pass attempts to find instructions that can go into the delay slots of other instructions, usually jumps and calls. The source file name is @file{reorg.c}. @item Branch shortening On many RISC machines, branch instructions have a limited range. Thus, longer sequences of instructions must be used for long branches. In this pass, the compiler figures out what how far each instruction will be from each other instruction, and therefore whether the usual instructions, or the longer sequences, must be used for each branch. @item Register-to-stack conversion Conversion from usage of some hard registers to usage of a register stack may be done at this point. Currently, this is supported only for the floating-point registers of the Intel 80387 coprocessor. The source file name is @file{reg-stack.c}. @item Final This pass outputs the assembler code for the function. The source files are @file{final.c} plus @file{insn-output.c}; the latter is generated automatically from the machine description by the tool @file{genoutput}. The header file @file{conditions.h} is used for communication between these files. If mudflap is enabled, the queue of deferred declarations and any addressed constants (e.g., string literals) is processed by @code{mudflap_finish_file} into a synthetic constructor function containing calls into the mudflap runtime. @item Debugging information output This is run after final because it must output the stack slot offsets for pseudo registers that did not get hard registers. Source files are @file{dbxout.c} for DBX symbol table format, @file{sdbout.c} for SDB symbol table format, @file{dwarfout.c} for DWARF symbol table format, files @file{dwarf2out.c} and @file{dwarf2asm.c} for DWARF2 symbol table format, and @file{vmsdbgout.c} for VMS debug symbol table format. @end itemize