GNU Info
(gcc-295.info)Regs and Memory
Registers and Memory
====================
Here are the RTL expression types for describing access to machine
registers and to main memory.
`(reg:M N)'
For small values of the integer N (those that are less than
`FIRST_PSEUDO_REGISTER'), this stands for a reference to machine
register number N: a "hard register". For larger values of N, it
stands for a temporary value or "pseudo register". The compiler's
strategy is to generate code assuming an unlimited number of such
pseudo registers, and later convert them into hard registers or
into memory references.
M is the machine mode of the reference. It is necessary because
machines can generally refer to each register in more than one
mode. For example, a register may contain a full word but there
may be instructions to refer to it as a half word or as a single
byte, as well as instructions to refer to it as a floating point
number of various precisions.
Even for a register that the machine can access in only one mode,
the mode must always be specified.
The symbol `FIRST_PSEUDO_REGISTER' is defined by the machine
description, since the number of hard registers on the machine is
an invariant characteristic of the machine. Note, however, that
not all of the machine registers must be general registers. All
the machine registers that can be used for storage of data are
given hard register numbers, even those that can be used only in
certain instructions or can hold only certain types of data.
A hard register may be accessed in various modes throughout one
function, but each pseudo register is given a natural mode and is
accessed only in that mode. When it is necessary to describe an
access to a pseudo register using a nonnatural mode, a `subreg'
expression is used.
A `reg' expression with a machine mode that specifies more than
one word of data may actually stand for several consecutive
registers. If in addition the register number specifies a
hardware register, then it actually represents several consecutive
hardware registers starting with the specified one.
Each pseudo register number used in a function's RTL code is
represented by a unique `reg' expression.
Some pseudo register numbers, those within the range of
`FIRST_VIRTUAL_REGISTER' to `LAST_VIRTUAL_REGISTER' only appear
during the RTL generation phase and are eliminated before the
optimization phases. These represent locations in the stack frame
that cannot be determined until RTL generation for the function
has been completed. The following virtual register numbers are
defined:
`VIRTUAL_INCOMING_ARGS_REGNUM'
This points to the first word of the incoming arguments
passed on the stack. Normally these arguments are placed
there by the caller, but the callee may have pushed some
arguments that were previously passed in registers.
When RTL generation is complete, this virtual register is
replaced by the sum of the register given by
`ARG_POINTER_REGNUM' and the value of `FIRST_PARM_OFFSET'.
`VIRTUAL_STACK_VARS_REGNUM'
If `FRAME_GROWS_DOWNWARD' is defined, this points to
immediately above the first variable on the stack.
Otherwise, it points to the first variable on the stack.
`VIRTUAL_STACK_VARS_REGNUM' is replaced with the sum of the
register given by `FRAME_POINTER_REGNUM' and the value
`STARTING_FRAME_OFFSET'.
`VIRTUAL_STACK_DYNAMIC_REGNUM'
This points to the location of dynamically allocated memory
on the stack immediately after the stack pointer has been
adjusted by the amount of memory desired.
This virtual register is replaced by the sum of the register
given by `STACK_POINTER_REGNUM' and the value
`STACK_DYNAMIC_OFFSET'.
`VIRTUAL_OUTGOING_ARGS_REGNUM'
This points to the location in the stack at which outgoing
arguments should be written when the stack is pre-pushed
(arguments pushed using push insns should always use
`STACK_POINTER_REGNUM').
This virtual register is replaced by the sum of the register
given by `STACK_POINTER_REGNUM' and the value
`STACK_POINTER_OFFSET'.
`(subreg:M REG WORDNUM)'
`subreg' expressions are used to refer to a register in a machine
mode other than its natural one, or to refer to one register of a
multi-word `reg' that actually refers to several registers.
Each pseudo-register has a natural mode. If it is necessary to
operate on it in a different mode--for example, to perform a
fullword move instruction on a pseudo-register that contains a
single byte--the pseudo-register must be enclosed in a `subreg'.
In such a case, WORDNUM is zero.
Usually M is at least as narrow as the mode of REG, in which case
it is restricting consideration to only the bits of REG that are
in M.
Sometimes M is wider than the mode of REG. These `subreg'
expressions are often called "paradoxical". They are used in
cases where we want to refer to an object in a wider mode but do
not care what value the additional bits have. The reload pass
ensures that paradoxical references are only made to hard
registers.
The other use of `subreg' is to extract the individual registers of
a multi-register value. Machine modes such as `DImode' and
`TImode' can indicate values longer than a word, values which
usually require two or more consecutive registers. To access one
of the registers, use a `subreg' with mode `SImode' and a WORDNUM
that says which register.
Storing in a non-paradoxical `subreg' has undefined results for
bits belonging to the same word as the `subreg'. This laxity makes
it easier to generate efficient code for such instructions. To
represent an instruction that preserves all the bits outside of
those in the `subreg', use `strict_low_part' around the `subreg'.
The compilation parameter `WORDS_BIG_ENDIAN', if set to 1, says
that word number zero is the most significant part; otherwise, it
is the least significant part.
On a few targets, `FLOAT_WORDS_BIG_ENDIAN' disagrees with
`WORDS_BIG_ENDIAN'. However, most parts of the compiler treat
floating point values as if they had the same endianness as
integer values. This works because they handle them solely as a
collection of integer values, with no particular numerical value.
Only real.c and the runtime libraries care about
`FLOAT_WORDS_BIG_ENDIAN'.
Between the combiner pass and the reload pass, it is possible to
have a paradoxical `subreg' which contains a `mem' instead of a
`reg' as its first operand. After the reload pass, it is also
possible to have a non-paradoxical `subreg' which contains a
`mem'; this usually occurs when the `mem' is a stack slot which
replaced a pseudo register.
Note that it is not valid to access a `DFmode' value in `SFmode'
using a `subreg'. On some machines the most significant part of a
`DFmode' value does not have the same format as a single-precision
floating value.
It is also not valid to access a single word of a multi-word value
in a hard register when less registers can hold the value than
would be expected from its size. For example, some 32-bit
machines have floating-point registers that can hold an entire
`DFmode' value. If register 10 were such a register `(subreg:SI
(reg:DF 10) 1)' would be invalid because there is no way to
convert that reference to a single machine register. The reload
pass prevents `subreg' expressions such as these from being formed.
The first operand of a `subreg' expression is customarily accessed
with the `SUBREG_REG' macro and the second operand is customarily
accessed with the `SUBREG_WORD' macro.
`(scratch:M)'
This represents a scratch register that will be required for the
execution of a single instruction and not used subsequently. It is
converted into a `reg' by either the local register allocator or
the reload pass.
`scratch' is usually present inside a `clobber' operation (Note:
Side Effects.).
`(cc0)'
This refers to the machine's condition code register. It has no
operands and may not have a machine mode. There are two ways to
use it:
* To stand for a complete set of condition code flags. This is
best on most machines, where each comparison sets the entire
series of flags.
With this technique, `(cc0)' may be validly used in only two
contexts: as the destination of an assignment (in test and
compare instructions) and in comparison operators comparing
against zero (`const_int' with value zero; that is to say,
`const0_rtx').
* To stand for a single flag that is the result of a single
condition. This is useful on machines that have only a
single flag bit, and in which comparison instructions must
specify the condition to test.
With this technique, `(cc0)' may be validly used in only two
contexts: as the destination of an assignment (in test and
compare instructions) where the source is a comparison
operator, and as the first operand of `if_then_else' (in a
conditional branch).
There is only one expression object of code `cc0'; it is the value
of the variable `cc0_rtx'. Any attempt to create an expression of
code `cc0' will return `cc0_rtx'.
Instructions can set the condition code implicitly. On many
machines, nearly all instructions set the condition code based on
the value that they compute or store. It is not necessary to
record these actions explicitly in the RTL because the machine
description includes a prescription for recognizing the
instructions that do so (by means of the macro
`NOTICE_UPDATE_CC'). Note: Condition Code. Only instructions
whose sole purpose is to set the condition code, and instructions
that use the condition code, need mention `(cc0)'.
On some machines, the condition code register is given a register
number and a `reg' is used instead of `(cc0)'. This is usually the
preferable approach if only a small subset of instructions modify
the condition code. Other machines store condition codes in
general registers; in such cases a pseudo register should be used.
Some machines, such as the Sparc and RS/6000, have two sets of
arithmetic instructions, one that sets and one that does not set
the condition code. This is best handled by normally generating
the instruction that does not set the condition code, and making a
pattern that both performs the arithmetic and sets the condition
code register (which would not be `(cc0)' in this case). For
examples, search for `addcc' and `andcc' in `sparc.md'.
`(pc)'
This represents the machine's program counter. It has no operands
and may not have a machine mode. `(pc)' may be validly used only
in certain specific contexts in jump instructions.
There is only one expression object of code `pc'; it is the value
of the variable `pc_rtx'. Any attempt to create an expression of
code `pc' will return `pc_rtx'.
All instructions that do not jump alter the program counter
implicitly by incrementing it, but there is no need to mention
this in the RTL.
`(mem:M ADDR)'
This RTX represents a reference to main memory at an address
represented by the expression ADDR. M specifies how large a unit
of memory is accessed.
`(addressof:M REG)'
This RTX represents a request for the address of register REG.
Its mode is always `Pmode'. If there are any `addressof'
expressions left in the function after CSE, REG is forced into the
stack and the `addressof' expression is replaced with a `plus'
expression for the address of its stack slot.
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