GNU Info

(gcc-295.info)Aggregate Return

---

Next: Caller Saves Prev: Scalar Return Up: Stack and Calling

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

How Large Values Are Returned
-----------------------------

   When a function value's mode is `BLKmode' (and in some other cases),
the value is not returned according to `FUNCTION_VALUE' (Note: Scalar
Return.).  Instead, the caller passes the address of a block of
memory in which the value should be stored.  This address is called the
"structure value address".

   This section describes how to control returning structure values in
memory.

`RETURN_IN_MEMORY (TYPE)'
     A C expression which can inhibit the returning of certain function
     values in registers, based on the type of value.  A nonzero value
     says to return the function value in memory, just as large
     structures are always returned.  Here TYPE will be a C expression
     of type `tree', representing the data type of the value.

     Note that values of mode `BLKmode' must be explicitly handled by
     this macro.  Also, the option `-fpcc-struct-return' takes effect
     regardless of this macro.  On most systems, it is possible to
     leave the macro undefined; this causes a default definition to be
     used, whose value is the constant 1 for `BLKmode' values, and 0
     otherwise.

     Do not use this macro to indicate that structures and unions
     should always be returned in memory.  You should instead use
     `DEFAULT_PCC_STRUCT_RETURN' to indicate this.

`DEFAULT_PCC_STRUCT_RETURN'
     Define this macro to be 1 if all structure and union return values
     must be in memory.  Since this results in slower code, this should
     be defined only if needed for compatibility with other compilers
     or with an ABI.  If you define this macro to be 0, then the
     conventions used for structure and union return values are decided
     by the `RETURN_IN_MEMORY' macro.

     If not defined, this defaults to the value 1.

`STRUCT_VALUE_REGNUM'
     If the structure value address is passed in a register, then
     `STRUCT_VALUE_REGNUM' should be the number of that register.

`STRUCT_VALUE'
     If the structure value address is not passed in a register, define
     `STRUCT_VALUE' as an expression returning an RTX for the place
     where the address is passed.  If it returns 0, the address is
     passed as an "invisible" first argument.

`STRUCT_VALUE_INCOMING_REGNUM'
     On some architectures the place where the structure value address
     is found by the called function is not the same place that the
     caller put it.  This can be due to register windows, or it could
     be because the function prologue moves it to a different place.

     If the incoming location of the structure value address is in a
     register, define this macro as the register number.

`STRUCT_VALUE_INCOMING'
     If the incoming location is not a register, then you should define
     `STRUCT_VALUE_INCOMING' as an expression for an RTX for where the
     called function should find the value.  If it should find the
     value on the stack, define this to create a `mem' which refers to
     the frame pointer.  A definition of 0 means that the address is
     passed as an "invisible" first argument.

`PCC_STATIC_STRUCT_RETURN'
     Define this macro if the usual system convention on the target
     machine for returning structures and unions is for the called
     function to return the address of a static variable containing the
     value.

     Do not define this if the usual system convention is for the
     caller to pass an address to the subroutine.

     This macro has effect in `-fpcc-struct-return' mode, but it does
     nothing when you use `-freg-struct-return' mode.