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(gcc-295.info)Frame Registers

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Registers That Address the Stack Frame
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   This discusses registers that address the stack frame.

`STACK_POINTER_REGNUM'
     The register number of the stack pointer register, which must also
     be a fixed register according to `FIXED_REGISTERS'.  On most
     machines, the hardware determines which register this is.

`FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM'
     The register number of the frame pointer register, which is used to
     access automatic variables in the stack frame.  On some machines,
     the hardware determines which register this is.  On other
     machines, you can choose any register you wish for this purpose.

`HARD_FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM'
     On some machines the offset between the frame pointer and starting
     offset of the automatic variables is not known until after register
     allocation has been done (for example, because the saved registers
     are between these two locations).  On those machines, define
     `FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM' the number of a special, fixed register to
     be used internally until the offset is known, and define
     `HARD_FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM' to be the actual hard register number
     used for the frame pointer.

     You should define this macro only in the very rare circumstances
     when it is not possible to calculate the offset between the frame
     pointer and the automatic variables until after register
     allocation has been completed.  When this macro is defined, you
     must also indicate in your definition of `ELIMINABLE_REGS' how to
     eliminate `FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM' into either
     `HARD_FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM' or `STACK_POINTER_REGNUM'.

     Do not define this macro if it would be the same as
     `FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM'.

`ARG_POINTER_REGNUM'
     The register number of the arg pointer register, which is used to
     access the function's argument list.  On some machines, this is
     the same as the frame pointer register.  On some machines, the
     hardware determines which register this is.  On other machines,
     you can choose any register you wish for this purpose.  If this is
     not the same register as the frame pointer register, then you must
     mark it as a fixed register according to `FIXED_REGISTERS', or
     arrange to be able to eliminate it (Note: Elimination.).

`RETURN_ADDRESS_POINTER_REGNUM'
     The register number of the return address pointer register, which
     is used to access the current function's return address from the
     stack.  On some machines, the return address is not at a fixed
     offset from the frame pointer or stack pointer or argument
     pointer.  This register can be defined to point to the return
     address on the stack, and then be converted by `ELIMINABLE_REGS'
     into either the frame pointer or stack pointer.

     Do not define this macro unless there is no other way to get the
     return address from the stack.

`STATIC_CHAIN_REGNUM'
`STATIC_CHAIN_INCOMING_REGNUM'
     Register numbers used for passing a function's static chain
     pointer.  If register windows are used, the register number as
     seen by the called function is `STATIC_CHAIN_INCOMING_REGNUM',
     while the register number as seen by the calling function is
     `STATIC_CHAIN_REGNUM'.  If these registers are the same,
     `STATIC_CHAIN_INCOMING_REGNUM' need not be defined.

     The static chain register need not be a fixed register.

     If the static chain is passed in memory, these macros should not be
     defined; instead, the next two macros should be defined.

`STATIC_CHAIN'
`STATIC_CHAIN_INCOMING'
     If the static chain is passed in memory, these macros provide rtx
     giving `mem' expressions that denote where they are stored.
     `STATIC_CHAIN' and `STATIC_CHAIN_INCOMING' give the locations as
     seen by the calling and called functions, respectively.  Often the
     former will be at an offset from the stack pointer and the latter
     at an offset from the frame pointer.

     The variables `stack_pointer_rtx', `frame_pointer_rtx', and
     `arg_pointer_rtx' will have been initialized prior to the use of
     these macros and should be used to refer to those items.

     If the static chain is passed in a register, the two previous
     macros should be defined instead.