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(as.info)i386-Jumps

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Handling of Jump Instructions
-----------------------------

   Jump instructions are always optimized to use the smallest possible
displacements.  This is accomplished by using byte (8-bit) displacement
jumps whenever the target is sufficiently close.  If a byte displacement
is insufficient a long displacement is used.  We do not support word
(16-bit) displacement jumps in 32-bit mode (i.e. prefixing the jump
instruction with the `data16' instruction prefix), since the 80386
insists upon masking `%eip' to 16 bits after the word displacement is
added. (See also Note: i386-Arch)

   Note that the `jcxz', `jecxz', `loop', `loopz', `loope', `loopnz'
and `loopne' instructions only come in byte displacements, so that if
you use these instructions (`gcc' does not use them) you may get an
error message (and incorrect code).  The AT&T 80386 assembler tries to
get around this problem by expanding `jcxz foo' to

              jcxz cx_zero
              jmp cx_nonzero
     cx_zero: jmp foo
     cx_nonzero: