path: root/gcc/gcc.info-21

This is Info file gcc.info, produced by Makeinfo version 1.68 from the
input file gcc.texi.

   This file documents the use and the internals of the GNU compiler.

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File: gcc.info,  Node: Registers,  Next: Register Classes,  Prev: Type Layout,  Up: Target Macros

Register Usage
==============

   This section explains how to describe what registers the target
machine has, and how (in general) they can be used.

   The description of which registers a specific instruction can use is
done with register classes; see *Note Register Classes::.  For
information on using registers to access a stack frame, see *Note Frame
Registers::.  For passing values in registers, see *Note Register
Arguments::.  For returning values in registers, see *Note Scalar
Return::.

* Menu:

* Register Basics::		Number and kinds of registers.
* Allocation Order::		Order in which registers are allocated.
* Values in Registers::		What kinds of values each reg can hold.
* Leaf Functions::		Renumbering registers for leaf functions.
* Stack Registers::		Handling a register stack such as 80387.
* Obsolete Register Macros::	Macros formerly used for the 80387.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Register Basics,  Next: Allocation Order,  Up: Registers

Basic Characteristics of Registers
----------------------------------

   Registers have various characteristics.

`FIRST_PSEUDO_REGISTER'
     Number of hardware registers known to the compiler.  They receive
     numbers 0 through `FIRST_PSEUDO_REGISTER-1'; thus, the first
     pseudo register's number really is assigned the number
     `FIRST_PSEUDO_REGISTER'.

`FIXED_REGISTERS'
     An initializer that says which registers are used for fixed
     purposes all throughout the compiled code and are therefore not
     available for general allocation.  These would include the stack
     pointer, the frame pointer (except on machines where that can be
     used as a general register when no frame pointer is needed), the
     program counter on machines where that is considered one of the
     addressable registers, and any other numbered register with a
     standard use.

     This information is expressed as a sequence of numbers, separated
     by commas and surrounded by braces.  The Nth number is 1 if
     register N is fixed, 0 otherwise.

     The table initialized from this macro, and the table initialized by
     the following one, may be overridden at run time either
     automatically, by the actions of the macro
     `CONDITIONAL_REGISTER_USAGE', or by the user with the command
     options `-ffixed-REG', `-fcall-used-REG' and `-fcall-saved-REG'.

`CALL_USED_REGISTERS'
     Like `FIXED_REGISTERS' but has 1 for each register that is
     clobbered (in general) by function calls as well as for fixed
     registers.  This macro therefore identifies the registers that are
     not available for general allocation of values that must live
     across function calls.

     If a register has 0 in `CALL_USED_REGISTERS', the compiler
     automatically saves it on function entry and restores it on
     function exit, if the register is used within the function.

`CONDITIONAL_REGISTER_USAGE'
     Zero or more C statements that may conditionally modify two
     variables `fixed_regs' and `call_used_regs' (both of type `char
     []') after they have been initialized from the two preceding
     macros.

     This is necessary in case the fixed or call-clobbered registers
     depend on target flags.

     You need not define this macro if it has no work to do.

     If the usage of an entire class of registers depends on the target
     flags, you may indicate this to GCC by using this macro to modify
     `fixed_regs' and `call_used_regs' to 1 for each of the registers
     in the classes which should not be used by GCC.  Also define the
     macro `REG_CLASS_FROM_LETTER' to return `NO_REGS' if it is called
     with a letter for a class that shouldn't be used.

     (However, if this class is not included in `GENERAL_REGS' and all
     of the insn patterns whose constraints permit this class are
     controlled by target switches, then GCC will automatically avoid
     using these registers when the target switches are opposed to
     them.)

`NON_SAVING_SETJMP'
     If this macro is defined and has a nonzero value, it means that
     `setjmp' and related functions fail to save the registers, or that
     `longjmp' fails to restore them.  To compensate, the compiler
     avoids putting variables in registers in functions that use
     `setjmp'.

`INCOMING_REGNO (OUT)'
     Define this macro if the target machine has register windows.
     This C expression returns the register number as seen by the
     called function corresponding to the register number OUT as seen
     by the calling function.  Return OUT if register number OUT is not
     an outbound register.

`OUTGOING_REGNO (IN)'
     Define this macro if the target machine has register windows.
     This C expression returns the register number as seen by the
     calling function corresponding to the register number IN as seen
     by the called function.  Return IN if register number IN is not an
     inbound register.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Allocation Order,  Next: Values in Registers,  Prev: Register Basics,  Up: Registers

Order of Allocation of Registers
--------------------------------

   Registers are allocated in order.

`REG_ALLOC_ORDER'
     If defined, an initializer for a vector of integers, containing the
     numbers of hard registers in the order in which GNU CC should
     prefer to use them (from most preferred to least).

     If this macro is not defined, registers are used lowest numbered
     first (all else being equal).

     One use of this macro is on machines where the highest numbered
     registers must always be saved and the save-multiple-registers
     instruction supports only sequences of consecutive registers.  On
     such machines, define `REG_ALLOC_ORDER' to be an initializer that
     lists the highest numbered allocable register first.

`ORDER_REGS_FOR_LOCAL_ALLOC'
     A C statement (sans semicolon) to choose the order in which to
     allocate hard registers for pseudo-registers local to a basic
     block.

     Store the desired register order in the array `reg_alloc_order'.
     Element 0 should be the register to allocate first; element 1, the
     next register; and so on.

     The macro body should not assume anything about the contents of
     `reg_alloc_order' before execution of the macro.

     On most machines, it is not necessary to define this macro.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Values in Registers,  Next: Leaf Functions,  Prev: Allocation Order,  Up: Registers

How Values Fit in Registers
---------------------------

   This section discusses the macros that describe which kinds of values
(specifically, which machine modes) each register can hold, and how many
consecutive registers are needed for a given mode.

`HARD_REGNO_NREGS (REGNO, MODE)'
     A C expression for the number of consecutive hard registers,
     starting at register number REGNO, required to hold a value of mode
     MODE.

     On a machine where all registers are exactly one word, a suitable
     definition of this macro is

          #define HARD_REGNO_NREGS(REGNO, MODE)            \
             ((GET_MODE_SIZE (MODE) + UNITS_PER_WORD - 1)  \
              / UNITS_PER_WORD))

`HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK (REGNO, MODE)'
     A C expression that is nonzero if it is permissible to store a
     value of mode MODE in hard register number REGNO (or in several
     registers starting with that one).  For a machine where all
     registers are equivalent, a suitable definition is

          #define HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK(REGNO, MODE) 1

     You need not include code to check for the numbers of fixed
     registers, because the allocation mechanism considers them to be
     always occupied.

     On some machines, double-precision values must be kept in even/odd
     register pairs.  You can implement that by defining this macro to
     reject odd register numbers for such modes.

     The minimum requirement for a mode to be OK in a register is that
     the `movMODE' instruction pattern support moves between the
     register and other hard register in the same class and that moving
     a value into the register and back out not alter it.

     Since the same instruction used to move `word_mode' will work for
     all narrower integer modes, it is not necessary on any machine for
     `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK' to distinguish between these modes, provided
     you define patterns `movhi', etc., to take advantage of this.  This
     is useful because of the interaction between `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK'
     and `MODES_TIEABLE_P'; it is very desirable for all integer modes
     to be tieable.

     Many machines have special registers for floating point arithmetic.
     Often people assume that floating point machine modes are allowed
     only in floating point registers.  This is not true.  Any
     registers that can hold integers can safely *hold* a floating
     point machine mode, whether or not floating arithmetic can be done
     on it in those registers.  Integer move instructions can be used
     to move the values.

     On some machines, though, the converse is true: fixed-point machine
     modes may not go in floating registers.  This is true if the
     floating registers normalize any value stored in them, because
     storing a non-floating value there would garble it.  In this case,
     `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK' should reject fixed-point machine modes in
     floating registers.  But if the floating registers do not
     automatically normalize, if you can store any bit pattern in one
     and retrieve it unchanged without a trap, then any machine mode
     may go in a floating register, so you can define this macro to say
     so.

     The primary significance of special floating registers is rather
     that they are the registers acceptable in floating point arithmetic
     instructions.  However, this is of no concern to
     `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK'.  You handle it by writing the proper
     constraints for those instructions.

     On some machines, the floating registers are especially slow to
     access, so that it is better to store a value in a stack frame
     than in such a register if floating point arithmetic is not being
     done.  As long as the floating registers are not in class
     `GENERAL_REGS', they will not be used unless some pattern's
     constraint asks for one.

`MODES_TIEABLE_P (MODE1, MODE2)'
     A C expression that is nonzero if a value of mode MODE1 is
     accessible in mode MODE2 without copying.

     If `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK (R, MODE1)' and `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK (R,
     MODE2)' are always the same for any R, then `MODES_TIEABLE_P
     (MODE1, MODE2)' should be nonzero.  If they differ for any R, you
     should define this macro to return zero unless some other
     mechanism ensures the accessibility of the value in a narrower
     mode.

     You should define this macro to return nonzero in as many cases as
     possible since doing so will allow GNU CC to perform better
     register allocation.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Leaf Functions,  Next: Stack Registers,  Prev: Values in Registers,  Up: Registers

Handling Leaf Functions
-----------------------

   On some machines, a leaf function (i.e., one which makes no calls)
can run more efficiently if it does not make its own register window.
Often this means it is required to receive its arguments in the
registers where they are passed by the caller, instead of the registers
where they would normally arrive.

   The special treatment for leaf functions generally applies only when
other conditions are met; for example, often they may use only those
registers for its own variables and temporaries.  We use the term "leaf
function" to mean a function that is suitable for this special
handling, so that functions with no calls are not necessarily "leaf
functions".

   GNU CC assigns register numbers before it knows whether the function
is suitable for leaf function treatment.  So it needs to renumber the
registers in order to output a leaf function.  The following macros
accomplish this.

`LEAF_REGISTERS'
     A C initializer for a vector, indexed by hard register number,
     which contains 1 for a register that is allowable in a candidate
     for leaf function treatment.

     If leaf function treatment involves renumbering the registers,
     then the registers marked here should be the ones before
     renumbering--those that GNU CC would ordinarily allocate.  The
     registers which will actually be used in the assembler code, after
     renumbering, should not be marked with 1 in this vector.

     Define this macro only if the target machine offers a way to
     optimize the treatment of leaf functions.

`LEAF_REG_REMAP (REGNO)'
     A C expression whose value is the register number to which REGNO
     should be renumbered, when a function is treated as a leaf
     function.

     If REGNO is a register number which should not appear in a leaf
     function before renumbering, then the expression should yield -1,
     which will cause the compiler to abort.

     Define this macro only if the target machine offers a way to
     optimize the treatment of leaf functions, and registers need to be
     renumbered to do this.

   Normally, `FUNCTION_PROLOGUE' and `FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' must treat
leaf functions specially.  It can test the C variable `leaf_function'
which is nonzero for leaf functions.  (The variable `leaf_function' is
defined only if `LEAF_REGISTERS' is defined.)


File: gcc.info,  Node: Stack Registers,  Next: Obsolete Register Macros,  Prev: Leaf Functions,  Up: Registers

Registers That Form a Stack
---------------------------

   There are special features to handle computers where some of the
"registers" form a stack, as in the 80387 coprocessor for the 80386.
Stack registers are normally written by pushing onto the stack, and are
numbered relative to the top of the stack.

   Currently, GNU CC can only handle one group of stack-like registers,
and they must be consecutively numbered.

`STACK_REGS'
     Define this if the machine has any stack-like registers.

`FIRST_STACK_REG'
     The number of the first stack-like register.  This one is the top
     of the stack.

`LAST_STACK_REG'
     The number of the last stack-like register.  This one is the
     bottom of the stack.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Obsolete Register Macros,  Prev: Stack Registers,  Up: Registers

Obsolete Macros for Controlling Register Usage
----------------------------------------------

   These features do not work very well.  They exist because they used
to be required to generate correct code for the 80387 coprocessor of the
80386.  They are no longer used by that machine description and may be
removed in a later version of the compiler.  Don't use them!

`OVERLAPPING_REGNO_P (REGNO)'
     If defined, this is a C expression whose value is nonzero if hard
     register number REGNO is an overlapping register.  This means a
     hard register which overlaps a hard register with a different
     number.  (Such overlap is undesirable, but occasionally it allows
     a machine to be supported which otherwise could not be.)  This
     macro must return nonzero for *all* the registers which overlap
     each other.  GNU CC can use an overlapping register only in
     certain limited ways.  It can be used for allocation within a
     basic block, and may be spilled for reloading; that is all.

     If this macro is not defined, it means that none of the hard
     registers overlap each other.  This is the usual situation.

`INSN_CLOBBERS_REGNO_P (INSN, REGNO)'
     If defined, this is a C expression whose value should be nonzero if
     the insn INSN has the effect of mysteriously clobbering the
     contents of hard register number REGNO.  By "mysterious" we mean
     that the insn's RTL expression doesn't describe such an effect.

     If this macro is not defined, it means that no insn clobbers
     registers mysteriously.  This is the usual situation; all else
     being equal, it is best for the RTL expression to show all the
     activity.

`PRESERVE_DEATH_INFO_REGNO_P (REGNO)'
     If defined, this is a C expression whose value is nonzero if
     correct `REG_DEAD' notes are needed for hard register number REGNO
     after reload.

     You would arrange to preserve death info for a register when some
     of the code in the machine description which is executed to write
     the assembler code looks at the death notes.  This is necessary
     only when the actual hardware feature which GNU CC thinks of as a
     register is not actually a register of the usual sort.  (It might,
     for example, be a hardware stack.)

     It is also useful for peepholes and linker relaxation.

     If this macro is not defined, it means that no death notes need to
     be preserved, and some may even be incorrect.  This is the usual
     situation.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Register Classes,  Next: Stack and Calling,  Prev: Registers,  Up: Target Macros

Register Classes
================

   On many machines, the numbered registers are not all equivalent.
For example, certain registers may not be allowed for indexed
addressing; certain registers may not be allowed in some instructions.
These machine restrictions are described to the compiler using
"register classes".

   You define a number of register classes, giving each one a name and
saying which of the registers belong to it.  Then you can specify
register classes that are allowed as operands to particular instruction
patterns.

   In general, each register will belong to several classes.  In fact,
one class must be named `ALL_REGS' and contain all the registers.
Another class must be named `NO_REGS' and contain no registers.  Often
the union of two classes will be another class; however, this is not
required.

   One of the classes must be named `GENERAL_REGS'.  There is nothing
terribly special about the name, but the operand constraint letters `r'
and `g' specify this class.  If `GENERAL_REGS' is the same as
`ALL_REGS', just define it as a macro which expands to `ALL_REGS'.

   Order the classes so that if class X is contained in class Y then X
has a lower class number than Y.

   The way classes other than `GENERAL_REGS' are specified in operand
constraints is through machine-dependent operand constraint letters.
You can define such letters to correspond to various classes, then use
them in operand constraints.

   You should define a class for the union of two classes whenever some
instruction allows both classes.  For example, if an instruction allows
either a floating point (coprocessor) register or a general register
for a certain operand, you should define a class `FLOAT_OR_GENERAL_REGS'
which includes both of them.  Otherwise you will get suboptimal code.

   You must also specify certain redundant information about the
register classes: for each class, which classes contain it and which
ones are contained in it; for each pair of classes, the largest class
contained in their union.

   When a value occupying several consecutive registers is expected in a
certain class, all the registers used must belong to that class.
Therefore, register classes cannot be used to enforce a requirement for
a register pair to start with an even-numbered register.  The way to
specify this requirement is with `HARD_REGNO_MODE_OK'.

   Register classes used for input-operands of bitwise-and or shift
instructions have a special requirement: each such class must have, for
each fixed-point machine mode, a subclass whose registers can transfer
that mode to or from memory.  For example, on some machines, the
operations for single-byte values (`QImode') are limited to certain
registers.  When this is so, each register class that is used in a
bitwise-and or shift instruction must have a subclass consisting of
registers from which single-byte values can be loaded or stored.  This
is so that `PREFERRED_RELOAD_CLASS' can always have a possible value to
return.

`enum reg_class'
     An enumeral type that must be defined with all the register class
     names as enumeral values.  `NO_REGS' must be first.  `ALL_REGS'
     must be the last register class, followed by one more enumeral
     value, `LIM_REG_CLASSES', which is not a register class but rather
     tells how many classes there are.

     Each register class has a number, which is the value of casting
     the class name to type `int'.  The number serves as an index in
     many of the tables described below.

`N_REG_CLASSES'
     The number of distinct register classes, defined as follows:

          #define N_REG_CLASSES (int) LIM_REG_CLASSES

`REG_CLASS_NAMES'
     An initializer containing the names of the register classes as C
     string constants.  These names are used in writing some of the
     debugging dumps.

`REG_CLASS_CONTENTS'
     An initializer containing the contents of the register classes, as
     integers which are bit masks.  The Nth integer specifies the
     contents of class N.  The way the integer MASK is interpreted is
     that register R is in the class if `MASK & (1 << R)' is 1.

     When the machine has more than 32 registers, an integer does not
     suffice.  Then the integers are replaced by sub-initializers,
     braced groupings containing several integers.  Each
     sub-initializer must be suitable as an initializer for the type
     `HARD_REG_SET' which is defined in `hard-reg-set.h'.

`REGNO_REG_CLASS (REGNO)'
     A C expression whose value is a register class containing hard
     register REGNO.  In general there is more than one such class;
     choose a class which is "minimal", meaning that no smaller class
     also contains the register.

`BASE_REG_CLASS'
     A macro whose definition is the name of the class to which a valid
     base register must belong.  A base register is one used in an
     address which is the register value plus a displacement.

`INDEX_REG_CLASS'
     A macro whose definition is the name of the class to which a valid
     index register must belong.  An index register is one used in an
     address where its value is either multiplied by a scale factor or
     added to another register (as well as added to a displacement).

`REG_CLASS_FROM_LETTER (CHAR)'
     A C expression which defines the machine-dependent operand
     constraint letters for register classes.  If CHAR is such a
     letter, the value should be the register class corresponding to
     it.  Otherwise, the value should be `NO_REGS'.  The register
     letter `r', corresponding to class `GENERAL_REGS', will not be
     passed to this macro; you do not need to handle it.

`REGNO_OK_FOR_BASE_P (NUM)'
     A C expression which is nonzero if register number NUM is suitable
     for use as a base register in operand addresses.  It may be either
     a suitable hard register or a pseudo register that has been
     allocated such a hard register.

`REGNO_MODE_OK_FOR_BASE_P (NUM, MODE)'
     A C expression that is just like `REGNO_OK_FOR_BASE_P', except that
     that expression may examine the mode of the memory reference in
     MODE.  You should define this macro if the mode of the memory
     reference affects whether a register may be used as a base
     register.  If you define this macro, the compiler will use it
     instead of `REGNO_OK_FOR_BASE_P'.

`REGNO_OK_FOR_INDEX_P (NUM)'
     A C expression which is nonzero if register number NUM is suitable
     for use as an index register in operand addresses.  It may be
     either a suitable hard register or a pseudo register that has been
     allocated such a hard register.

     The difference between an index register and a base register is
     that the index register may be scaled.  If an address involves the
     sum of two registers, neither one of them scaled, then either one
     may be labeled the "base" and the other the "index"; but whichever
     labeling is used must fit the machine's constraints of which
     registers may serve in each capacity.  The compiler will try both
     labelings, looking for one that is valid, and will reload one or
     both registers only if neither labeling works.

`PREFERRED_RELOAD_CLASS (X, CLASS)'
     A C expression that places additional restrictions on the register
     class to use when it is necessary to copy value X into a register
     in class CLASS.  The value is a register class; perhaps CLASS, or
     perhaps another, smaller class.  On many machines, the following
     definition is safe:

          #define PREFERRED_RELOAD_CLASS(X,CLASS) CLASS

     Sometimes returning a more restrictive class makes better code.
     For example, on the 68000, when X is an integer constant that is
     in range for a `moveq' instruction, the value of this macro is
     always `DATA_REGS' as long as CLASS includes the data registers.
     Requiring a data register guarantees that a `moveq' will be used.

     If X is a `const_double', by returning `NO_REGS' you can force X
     into a memory constant.  This is useful on certain machines where
     immediate floating values cannot be loaded into certain kinds of
     registers.

`PREFERRED_OUTPUT_RELOAD_CLASS (X, CLASS)'
     Like `PREFERRED_RELOAD_CLASS', but for output reloads instead of
     input reloads.  If you don't define this macro, the default is to
     use CLASS, unchanged.

`LIMIT_RELOAD_CLASS (MODE, CLASS)'
     A C expression that places additional restrictions on the register
     class to use when it is necessary to be able to hold a value of
     mode MODE in a reload register for which class CLASS would
     ordinarily be used.

     Unlike `PREFERRED_RELOAD_CLASS', this macro should be used when
     there are certain modes that simply can't go in certain reload
     classes.

     The value is a register class; perhaps CLASS, or perhaps another,
     smaller class.

     Don't define this macro unless the target machine has limitations
     which require the macro to do something nontrivial.

`SECONDARY_RELOAD_CLASS (CLASS, MODE, X)'
`SECONDARY_INPUT_RELOAD_CLASS (CLASS, MODE, X)'
`SECONDARY_OUTPUT_RELOAD_CLASS (CLASS, MODE, X)'
     Many machines have some registers that cannot be copied directly
     to or from memory or even from other types of registers.  An
     example is the `MQ' register, which on most machines, can only be
     copied to or from general registers, but not memory.  Some
     machines allow copying all registers to and from memory, but
     require a scratch register for stores to some memory locations
     (e.g., those with symbolic address on the RT, and those with
     certain symbolic address on the Sparc when compiling PIC).  In
     some cases, both an intermediate and a scratch register are
     required.

     You should define these macros to indicate to the reload phase
     that it may need to allocate at least one register for a reload in
     addition to the register to contain the data.  Specifically, if
     copying X to a register CLASS in MODE requires an intermediate
     register, you should define `SECONDARY_INPUT_RELOAD_CLASS' to
     return the largest register class all of whose registers can be
     used as intermediate registers or scratch registers.

     If copying a register CLASS in MODE to X requires an intermediate
     or scratch register, `SECONDARY_OUTPUT_RELOAD_CLASS' should be
     defined to return the largest register class required.  If the
     requirements for input and output reloads are the same, the macro
     `SECONDARY_RELOAD_CLASS' should be used instead of defining both
     macros identically.

     The values returned by these macros are often `GENERAL_REGS'.
     Return `NO_REGS' if no spare register is needed; i.e., if X can be
     directly copied to or from a register of CLASS in MODE without
     requiring a scratch register.  Do not define this macro if it
     would always return `NO_REGS'.

     If a scratch register is required (either with or without an
     intermediate register), you should define patterns for
     `reload_inM' or `reload_outM', as required (*note Standard
     Names::..  These patterns, which will normally be implemented with
     a `define_expand', should be similar to the `movM' patterns,
     except that operand 2 is the scratch register.

     Define constraints for the reload register and scratch register
     that contain a single register class.  If the original reload
     register (whose class is CLASS) can meet the constraint given in
     the pattern, the value returned by these macros is used for the
     class of the scratch register.  Otherwise, two additional reload
     registers are required.  Their classes are obtained from the
     constraints in the insn pattern.

     X might be a pseudo-register or a `subreg' of a pseudo-register,
     which could either be in a hard register or in memory.  Use
     `true_regnum' to find out; it will return -1 if the pseudo is in
     memory and the hard register number if it is in a register.

     These macros should not be used in the case where a particular
     class of registers can only be copied to memory and not to another
     class of registers.  In that case, secondary reload registers are
     not needed and would not be helpful.  Instead, a stack location
     must be used to perform the copy and the `movM' pattern should use
     memory as a intermediate storage.  This case often occurs between
     floating-point and general registers.

`SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED (CLASS1, CLASS2, M)'
     Certain machines have the property that some registers cannot be
     copied to some other registers without using memory.  Define this
     macro on those machines to be a C expression that is non-zero if
     objects of mode M in registers of CLASS1 can only be copied to
     registers of class CLASS2 by storing a register of CLASS1 into
     memory and loading that memory location into a register of CLASS2.

     Do not define this macro if its value would always be zero.

`SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED_RTX (MODE)'
     Normally when `SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED' is defined, the compiler
     allocates a stack slot for a memory location needed for register
     copies.  If this macro is defined, the compiler instead uses the
     memory location defined by this macro.

     Do not define this macro if you do not define
     `SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED'.

`SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED_MODE (MODE)'
     When the compiler needs a secondary memory location to copy
     between two registers of mode MODE, it normally allocates
     sufficient memory to hold a quantity of `BITS_PER_WORD' bits and
     performs the store and load operations in a mode that many bits
     wide and whose class is the same as that of MODE.

     This is right thing to do on most machines because it ensures that
     all bits of the register are copied and prevents accesses to the
     registers in a narrower mode, which some machines prohibit for
     floating-point registers.

     However, this default behavior is not correct on some machines,
     such as the DEC Alpha, that store short integers in floating-point
     registers differently than in integer registers.  On those
     machines, the default widening will not work correctly and you
     must define this macro to suppress that widening in some cases.
     See the file `alpha.h' for details.

     Do not define this macro if you do not define
     `SECONDARY_MEMORY_NEEDED' or if widening MODE to a mode that is
     `BITS_PER_WORD' bits wide is correct for your machine.

`SMALL_REGISTER_CLASSES'
     Normally the compiler avoids choosing registers that have been
     explicitly mentioned in the rtl as spill registers (these
     registers are normally those used to pass parameters and return
     values).  However, some machines have so few registers of certain
     classes that there would not be enough registers to use as spill
     registers if this were done.

     Define `SMALL_REGISTER_CLASSES' to be an expression with a non-zero
     value on these machines.  When this macro has a non-zero value, the
     compiler allows registers explicitly used in the rtl to be used as
     spill registers but avoids extending the lifetime of these
     registers.

     It is always safe to define this macro with a non-zero value, but
     if you unnecessarily define it, you will reduce the amount of
     optimizations that can be performed in some cases.  If you do not
     define this macro with a non-zero value when it is required, the
     compiler will run out of spill registers and print a fatal error
     message.  For most machines, you should not define this macro at
     all.

`CLASS_LIKELY_SPILLED_P (CLASS)'
     A C expression whose value is nonzero if pseudos that have been
     assigned to registers of class CLASS would likely be spilled
     because registers of CLASS are needed for spill registers.

     The default value of this macro returns 1 if CLASS has exactly one
     register and zero otherwise.  On most machines, this default
     should be used.  Only define this macro to some other expression
     if pseudo allocated by `local-alloc.c' end up in memory because
     their hard registers were needed for spill registers.  If this
     macro returns nonzero for those classes, those pseudos will only
     be allocated by `global.c', which knows how to reallocate the
     pseudo to another register.  If there would not be another
     register available for reallocation, you should not change the
     definition of this macro since the only effect of such a
     definition would be to slow down register allocation.

`CLASS_MAX_NREGS (CLASS, MODE)'
     A C expression for the maximum number of consecutive registers of
     class CLASS needed to hold a value of mode MODE.

     This is closely related to the macro `HARD_REGNO_NREGS'.  In fact,
     the value of the macro `CLASS_MAX_NREGS (CLASS, MODE)' should be
     the maximum value of `HARD_REGNO_NREGS (REGNO, MODE)' for all
     REGNO values in the class CLASS.

     This macro helps control the handling of multiple-word values in
     the reload pass.

`CLASS_CANNOT_CHANGE_SIZE'
     If defined, a C expression for a class that contains registers
     which the compiler must always access in a mode that is the same
     size as the mode in which it loaded the register.

     For the example, loading 32-bit integer or floating-point objects
     into floating-point registers on the Alpha extends them to 64-bits.
     Therefore loading a 64-bit object and then storing it as a 32-bit
     object does not store the low-order 32-bits, as would be the case
     for a normal register.  Therefore, `alpha.h' defines this macro as
     `FLOAT_REGS'.

   Three other special macros describe which operands fit which
constraint letters.

`CONST_OK_FOR_LETTER_P (VALUE, C)'
     A C expression that defines the machine-dependent operand
     constraint letters (`I', `J', `K', ... `P') that specify
     particular ranges of integer values.  If C is one of those
     letters, the expression should check that VALUE, an integer, is in
     the appropriate range and return 1 if so, 0 otherwise.  If C is
     not one of those letters, the value should be 0 regardless of
     VALUE.

`CONST_DOUBLE_OK_FOR_LETTER_P (VALUE, C)'
     A C expression that defines the machine-dependent operand
     constraint letters that specify particular ranges of
     `const_double' values (`G' or `H').

     If C is one of those letters, the expression should check that
     VALUE, an RTX of code `const_double', is in the appropriate range
     and return 1 if so, 0 otherwise.  If C is not one of those
     letters, the value should be 0 regardless of VALUE.

     `const_double' is used for all floating-point constants and for
     `DImode' fixed-point constants.  A given letter can accept either
     or both kinds of values.  It can use `GET_MODE' to distinguish
     between these kinds.

`EXTRA_CONSTRAINT (VALUE, C)'
     A C expression that defines the optional machine-dependent
     constraint letters (

``Q', `R', `S', `T', `U') that can'
     be used to segregate specific types of operands, usually memory
     references, for the target machine.  Normally this macro will not
     be defined.  If it is required for a particular target machine, it
     should return 1 if VALUE corresponds to the operand type
     represented by the constraint letter C.  If C is not defined as an
     extra constraint, the value returned should be 0 regardless of
     VALUE.

     For example, on the ROMP, load instructions cannot have their
     output in r0 if the memory reference contains a symbolic address.
     Constraint letter `Q' is defined as representing a memory address
     that does *not* contain a symbolic address.  An alternative is
     specified with a `Q' constraint on the input and `r' on the
     output.  The next alternative specifies `m' on the input and a
     register class that does not include r0 on the output.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Stack and Calling,  Next: Varargs,  Prev: Register Classes,  Up: Target Macros

Stack Layout and Calling Conventions
====================================

   This describes the stack layout and calling conventions.

* Menu:

* Frame Layout::
* Stack Checking::
* Frame Registers::
* Elimination::
* Stack Arguments::
* Register Arguments::
* Scalar Return::
* Aggregate Return::
* Caller Saves::
* Function Entry::
* Profiling::


File: gcc.info,  Node: Frame Layout,  Next: Stack Checking,  Up: Stack and Calling

Basic Stack Layout
------------------

   Here is the basic stack layout.

`STACK_GROWS_DOWNWARD'
     Define this macro if pushing a word onto the stack moves the stack
     pointer to a smaller address.

     When we say, "define this macro if ...," it means that the
     compiler checks this macro only with `#ifdef' so the precise
     definition used does not matter.

`FRAME_GROWS_DOWNWARD'
     Define this macro if the addresses of local variable slots are at
     negative offsets from the frame pointer.

`ARGS_GROW_DOWNWARD'
     Define this macro if successive arguments to a function occupy
     decreasing addresses on the stack.

`STARTING_FRAME_OFFSET'
     Offset from the frame pointer to the first local variable slot to
     be allocated.

     If `FRAME_GROWS_DOWNWARD', find the next slot's offset by
     subtracting the first slot's length from `STARTING_FRAME_OFFSET'.
     Otherwise, it is found by adding the length of the first slot to
     the value `STARTING_FRAME_OFFSET'.

`STACK_POINTER_OFFSET'
     Offset from the stack pointer register to the first location at
     which outgoing arguments are placed.  If not specified, the
     default value of zero is used.  This is the proper value for most
     machines.

     If `ARGS_GROW_DOWNWARD', this is the offset to the location above
     the first location at which outgoing arguments are placed.

`FIRST_PARM_OFFSET (FUNDECL)'
     Offset from the argument pointer register to the first argument's
     address.  On some machines it may depend on the data type of the
     function.

     If `ARGS_GROW_DOWNWARD', this is the offset to the location above
     the first argument's address.

`STACK_DYNAMIC_OFFSET (FUNDECL)'
     Offset from the stack pointer register to an item dynamically
     allocated on the stack, e.g., by `alloca'.

     The default value for this macro is `STACK_POINTER_OFFSET' plus the
     length of the outgoing arguments.  The default is correct for most
     machines.  See `function.c' for details.

`DYNAMIC_CHAIN_ADDRESS (FRAMEADDR)'
     A C expression whose value is RTL representing the address in a
     stack frame where the pointer to the caller's frame is stored.
     Assume that FRAMEADDR is an RTL expression for the address of the
     stack frame itself.

     If you don't define this macro, the default is to return the value
     of FRAMEADDR--that is, the stack frame address is also the address
     of the stack word that points to the previous frame.

`SETUP_FRAME_ADDRESSES ()'
     If defined, a C expression that produces the machine-specific code
     to setup the stack so that arbitrary frames can be accessed.  For
     example, on the Sparc, we must flush all of the register windows
     to the stack before we can access arbitrary stack frames.  This
     macro will seldom need to be defined.

`RETURN_ADDR_RTX (COUNT, FRAMEADDR)'
     A C expression whose value is RTL representing the value of the
     return address for the frame COUNT steps up from the current
     frame, after the prologue.  FRAMEADDR is the frame pointer of the
     COUNT frame, or the frame pointer of the COUNT - 1 frame if
     `RETURN_ADDR_IN_PREVIOUS_FRAME' is defined.

     The value of the expression must always be the correct address when
     COUNT is zero, but may be `NULL_RTX' if there is not way to
     determine the return address of other frames.

`RETURN_ADDR_IN_PREVIOUS_FRAME'
     Define this if the return address of a particular stack frame is
     accessed from the frame pointer of the previous stack frame.

`INCOMING_RETURN_ADDR_RTX'
     A C expression whose value is RTL representing the location of the
     incoming return address at the beginning of any function, before
     the prologue.  This RTL is either a `REG', indicating that the
     return value is saved in `REG', or a `MEM' representing a location
     in the stack.

     You only need to define this macro if you want to support call
     frame debugging information like that provided by DWARF 2.

`INCOMING_FRAME_SP_OFFSET'
     A C expression whose value is an integer giving the offset, in
     bytes, from the value of the stack pointer register to the top of
     the stack frame at the beginning of any function, before the
     prologue.  The top of the frame is defined to be the value of the
     stack pointer in the previous frame, just before the call
     instruction.

     You only need to define this macro if you want to support call
     frame debugging information like that provided by DWARF 2.


File: gcc.info,  Node: Stack Checking,  Next: Frame Registers,  Prev: Frame Layout,  Up: Stack and Calling

Specifying How Stack Checking is Done
-------------------------------------

   GNU CC will check that stack references are within the boundaries of
the stack, if the `-fstack-check' is specified, in one of three ways:

  1. If the value of the `STACK_CHECK_BUILTIN' macro is nonzero, GNU CC
     will assume that you have arranged for stack checking to be done at
     appropriate places in the configuration files, e.g., in
     `FUNCTION_PROLOGUE'.  GNU CC will do not other special processing.

  2. If `STACK_CHECK_BUILTIN' is zero and you defined a named pattern
     called `check_stack' in your `md' file, GNU CC will call that
     pattern with one argument which is the address to compare the stack
     value against.  You must arrange for this pattern to report an
     error if the stack pointer is out of range.

  3. If neither of the above are true, GNU CC will generate code to
     periodically "probe" the stack pointer using the values of the
     macros defined below.

   Normally, you will use the default values of these macros, so GNU CC
will use the third approach.

`STACK_CHECK_BUILTIN'
     A nonzero value if stack checking is done by the configuration
     files in a machine-dependent manner.  You should define this macro
     if stack checking is require by the ABI of your machine or if you
     would like to have to stack checking in some more efficient way
     than GNU CC's portable approach.  The default value of this macro
     is zero.

`STACK_CHECK_PROBE_INTERVAL'
     An integer representing the interval at which GNU CC must generate
     stack probe instructions.  You will normally define this macro to
     be no larger than the size of the "guard pages" at the end of a
     stack area.  The default value of 4096 is suitable for most
     systems.

`STACK_CHECK_PROBE_LOAD'
     A integer which is nonzero if GNU CC should perform the stack probe
     as a load instruction and zero if GNU CC should use a store
     instruction.  The default is zero, which is the most efficient
     choice on most systems.

`STACK_CHECK_PROTECT'
     The number of bytes of stack needed to recover from a stack
     overflow, for languages where such a recovery is supported.  The
     default value of 75 words should be adequate for most machines.

`STACK_CHECK_MAX_FRAME_SIZE'
     The maximum size of a stack frame, in bytes.  GNU CC will generate
     probe instructions in non-leaf functions to ensure at least this
     many bytes of stack are available.  If a stack frame is larger
     than this size, stack checking will not be reliable and GNU CC
     will issue a warning.  The default is chosen so that GNU CC only
     generates one instruction on most systems.  You should normally
     not change the default value of this macro.

`STACK_CHECK_FIXED_FRAME_SIZE'
     GNU CC uses this value to generate the above warning message.  It
     represents the amount of fixed frame used by a function, not
     including space for any callee-saved registers, temporaries and
     user variables.  You need only specify an upper bound for this
     amount and will normally use the default of four words.

`STACK_CHECK_MAX_VAR_SIZE'
     The maximum size, in bytes, of an object that GNU CC will place in
     the fixed area of the stack frame when the user specifies
     `-fstack-check'.  GNU CC computed the default from the values of
     the above macros and you will normally not need to override that
     default.