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(gcc-295.info)Explicit Reg Vars

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Variables in Specified Registers
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   GNU C allows you to put a few global variables into specified
hardware registers.  You can also specify the register in which an
ordinary register variable should be allocated.

   * Global register variables reserve registers throughout the program.
     This may be useful in programs such as programming language
     interpreters which have a couple of global variables that are
     accessed very often.

   * Local register variables in specific registers do not reserve the
     registers.  The compiler's data flow analysis is capable of
     determining where the specified registers contain live values, and
     where they are available for other uses.  Stores into local
     register variables may be deleted when they appear to be dead
     according to dataflow analysis.  References to local register
     variables may be deleted or moved or simplified.

     These local variables are sometimes convenient for use with the
     extended `asm' feature (Note: Extended Asm.), if you want to
     write one output of the assembler instruction directly into a
     particular register.  (This will work provided the register you
     specify fits the constraints specified for that operand in the
     `asm'.)

Global Reg Vars

Local Reg Vars