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* gccint: (gccint).            Internals of the GNU Compiler Collection.
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   This file documents the internals of the GNU compilers.


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File: gccint.info,  Node: Stack Arguments,  Next: Register Arguments,  Prev: Elimination,  Up: Stack and Calling

Passing Function Arguments on the Stack
---------------------------------------

   The macros in this section control how arguments are passed on the
stack.  See the following section for other macros that control passing
certain arguments in registers.

`PROMOTE_PROTOTYPES'
     A C expression whose value is nonzero if an argument declared in a
     prototype as an integral type smaller than `int' should actually
     be passed as an `int'.  In addition to avoiding errors in certain
     cases of mismatch, it also makes for better code on certain
     machines.  If the macro is not defined in target header files, it
     defaults to 0.

`PUSH_ARGS'
     A C expression.  If nonzero, push insns will be used to pass
     outgoing arguments.  If the target machine does not have a push
     instruction, set it to zero.  That directs GCC to use an alternate
     strategy: to allocate the entire argument block and then store the
     arguments into it.  When `PUSH_ARGS' is nonzero, `PUSH_ROUNDING'
     must be defined too.  On some machines, the definition

`PUSH_ROUNDING (NPUSHED)'
     A C expression that is the number of bytes actually pushed onto the
     stack when an instruction attempts to push NPUSHED bytes.

     On some machines, the definition

          #define PUSH_ROUNDING(BYTES) (BYTES)

     will suffice.  But on other machines, instructions that appear to
     push one byte actually push two bytes in an attempt to maintain
     alignment.  Then the definition should be

          #define PUSH_ROUNDING(BYTES) (((BYTES) + 1) & ~1)

`ACCUMULATE_OUTGOING_ARGS'
     A C expression.  If nonzero, the maximum amount of space required
     for outgoing arguments will be computed and placed into the
     variable `current_function_outgoing_args_size'.  No space will be
     pushed onto the stack for each call; instead, the function
     prologue should increase the stack frame size by this amount.

     Setting both `PUSH_ARGS' and `ACCUMULATE_OUTGOING_ARGS' is not
     proper.

`REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE (FNDECL)'
     Define this macro if functions should assume that stack space has
     been allocated for arguments even when their values are passed in
     registers.

     The value of this macro is the size, in bytes, of the area
     reserved for arguments passed in registers for the function
     represented by FNDECL, which can be zero if GCC is calling a
     library function.

     This space can be allocated by the caller, or be a part of the
     machine-dependent stack frame: `OUTGOING_REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' says
     which.

`MAYBE_REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE'
`FINAL_REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE (CONST_SIZE, VAR_SIZE)'
     Define these macros in addition to the one above if functions might
     allocate stack space for arguments even when their values are
     passed in registers.  These should be used when the stack space
     allocated for arguments in registers is not a simple constant
     independent of the function declaration.

     The value of the first macro is the size, in bytes, of the area
     that we should initially assume would be reserved for arguments
     passed in registers.

     The value of the second macro is the actual size, in bytes, of the
     area that will be reserved for arguments passed in registers.
     This takes two arguments: an integer representing the number of
     bytes of fixed sized arguments on the stack, and a tree
     representing the number of bytes of variable sized arguments on
     the stack.

     When these macros are defined, `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' will only be
     called for libcall functions, the current function, or for a
     function being called when it is known that such stack space must
     be allocated.  In each case this value can be easily computed.

     When deciding whether a called function needs such stack space,
     and how much space to reserve, GCC uses these two macros instead of
     `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE'.

`OUTGOING_REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE'
     Define this if it is the responsibility of the caller to allocate
     the area reserved for arguments passed in registers.

     If `ACCUMULATE_OUTGOING_ARGS' is defined, this macro controls
     whether the space for these arguments counts in the value of
     `current_function_outgoing_args_size'.

`STACK_PARMS_IN_REG_PARM_AREA'
     Define this macro if `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' is defined, but the
     stack parameters don't skip the area specified by it.

     Normally, when a parameter is not passed in registers, it is
     placed on the stack beyond the `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' area.
     Defining this macro suppresses this behavior and causes the
     parameter to be passed on the stack in its natural location.

`RETURN_POPS_ARGS (FUNDECL, FUNTYPE, STACK-SIZE)'
     A C expression that should indicate the number of bytes of its own
     arguments that a function pops on returning, or 0 if the function
     pops no arguments and the caller must therefore pop them all after
     the function returns.

     FUNDECL is a C variable whose value is a tree node that describes
     the function in question.  Normally it is a node of type
     `FUNCTION_DECL' that describes the declaration of the function.
     From this you can obtain the `DECL_ATTRIBUTES' of the function.

     FUNTYPE is a C variable whose value is a tree node that describes
     the function in question.  Normally it is a node of type
     `FUNCTION_TYPE' that describes the data type of the function.
     From this it is possible to obtain the data types of the value and
     arguments (if known).

     When a call to a library function is being considered, FUNDECL
     will contain an identifier node for the library function.  Thus, if
     you need to distinguish among various library functions, you can
     do so by their names.  Note that "library function" in this
     context means a function used to perform arithmetic, whose name is
     known specially in the compiler and was not mentioned in the C
     code being compiled.

     STACK-SIZE is the number of bytes of arguments passed on the
     stack.  If a variable number of bytes is passed, it is zero, and
     argument popping will always be the responsibility of the calling
     function.

     On the VAX, all functions always pop their arguments, so the
     definition of this macro is STACK-SIZE.  On the 68000, using the
     standard calling convention, no functions pop their arguments, so
     the value of the macro is always 0 in this case.  But an
     alternative calling convention is available in which functions
     that take a fixed number of arguments pop them but other functions
     (such as `printf') pop nothing (the caller pops all).  When this
     convention is in use, FUNTYPE is examined to determine whether a
     function takes a fixed number of arguments.

`CALL_POPS_ARGS (CUM)'
     A C expression that should indicate the number of bytes a call
     sequence pops off the stack.  It is added to the value of
     `RETURN_POPS_ARGS' when compiling a function call.

     CUM is the variable in which all arguments to the called function
     have been accumulated.

     On certain architectures, such as the SH5, a call trampoline is
     used that pops certain registers off the stack, depending on the
     arguments that have been passed to the function.  Since this is a
     property of the call site, not of the called function,
     `RETURN_POPS_ARGS' is not appropriate.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Register Arguments,  Next: Scalar Return,  Prev: Stack Arguments,  Up: Stack and Calling

Passing Arguments in Registers
------------------------------

   This section describes the macros which let you control how various
types of arguments are passed in registers or how they are arranged in
the stack.

`FUNCTION_ARG (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     A C expression that controls whether a function argument is passed
     in a register, and which register.

     The arguments are CUM, which summarizes all the previous
     arguments; MODE, the machine mode of the argument; TYPE, the data
     type of the argument as a tree node or 0 if that is not known
     (which happens for C support library functions); and NAMED, which
     is 1 for an ordinary argument and 0 for nameless arguments that
     correspond to `...' in the called function's prototype.  TYPE can
     be an incomplete type if a syntax error has previously occurred.

     The value of the expression is usually either a `reg' RTX for the
     hard register in which to pass the argument, or zero to pass the
     argument on the stack.

     For machines like the VAX and 68000, where normally all arguments
     are pushed, zero suffices as a definition.

     The value of the expression can also be a `parallel' RTX.  This is
     used when an argument is passed in multiple locations.  The mode
     of the of the `parallel' should be the mode of the entire
     argument.  The `parallel' holds any number of `expr_list' pairs;
     each one describes where part of the argument is passed.  In each
     `expr_list' the first operand must be a `reg' RTX for the hard
     register in which to pass this part of the argument, and the mode
     of the register RTX indicates how large this part of the argument
     is.  The second operand of the `expr_list' is a `const_int' which
     gives the offset in bytes into the entire argument of where this
     part starts.  As a special exception the first `expr_list' in the
     `parallel' RTX may have a first operand of zero.  This indicates
     that the entire argument is also stored on the stack.

     The last time this macro is called, it is called with `MODE ==
     VOIDmode', and its result is passed to the `call' or `call_value'
     pattern as operands 2 and 3 respectively.

     The usual way to make the ISO library `stdarg.h' work on a machine
     where some arguments are usually passed in registers, is to cause
     nameless arguments to be passed on the stack instead.  This is done
     by making `FUNCTION_ARG' return 0 whenever NAMED is 0.

     You may use the macro `MUST_PASS_IN_STACK (MODE, TYPE)' in the
     definition of this macro to determine if this argument is of a
     type that must be passed in the stack.  If `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE'
     is not defined and `FUNCTION_ARG' returns nonzero for such an
     argument, the compiler will abort.  If `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' is
     defined, the argument will be computed in the stack and then
     loaded into a register.

`MUST_PASS_IN_STACK (MODE, TYPE)'
     Define as a C expression that evaluates to nonzero if we do not
     know how to pass TYPE solely in registers.  The file `expr.h'
     defines a definition that is usually appropriate, refer to
     `expr.h' for additional documentation.

`FUNCTION_INCOMING_ARG (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     Define this macro if the target machine has "register windows", so
     that the register in which a function sees an arguments is not
     necessarily the same as the one in which the caller passed the
     argument.

     For such machines, `FUNCTION_ARG' computes the register in which
     the caller passes the value, and `FUNCTION_INCOMING_ARG' should be
     defined in a similar fashion to tell the function being called
     where the arguments will arrive.

     If `FUNCTION_INCOMING_ARG' is not defined, `FUNCTION_ARG' serves
     both purposes.

`FUNCTION_ARG_PARTIAL_NREGS (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     A C expression for the number of words, at the beginning of an
     argument, that must be put in registers.  The value must be zero
     for arguments that are passed entirely in registers or that are
     entirely pushed on the stack.

     On some machines, certain arguments must be passed partially in
     registers and partially in memory.  On these machines, typically
     the first N words of arguments are passed in registers, and the
     rest on the stack.  If a multi-word argument (a `double' or a
     structure) crosses that boundary, its first few words must be
     passed in registers and the rest must be pushed.  This macro tells
     the compiler when this occurs, and how many of the words should go
     in registers.

     `FUNCTION_ARG' for these arguments should return the first
     register to be used by the caller for this argument; likewise
     `FUNCTION_INCOMING_ARG', for the called function.

`FUNCTION_ARG_PASS_BY_REFERENCE (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     A C expression that indicates when an argument must be passed by
     reference.  If nonzero for an argument, a copy of that argument is
     made in memory and a pointer to the argument is passed instead of
     the argument itself.  The pointer is passed in whatever way is
     appropriate for passing a pointer to that type.

     On machines where `REG_PARM_STACK_SPACE' is not defined, a suitable
     definition of this macro might be
          #define FUNCTION_ARG_PASS_BY_REFERENCE\
          (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)  \
            MUST_PASS_IN_STACK (MODE, TYPE)

`FUNCTION_ARG_CALLEE_COPIES (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     If defined, a C expression that indicates when it is the called
     function's responsibility to make a copy of arguments passed by
     invisible reference.  Normally, the caller makes a copy and passes
     the address of the copy to the routine being called.  When
     `FUNCTION_ARG_CALLEE_COPIES' is defined and is nonzero, the caller
     does not make a copy.  Instead, it passes a pointer to the "live"
     value.  The called function must not modify this value.  If it can
     be determined that the value won't be modified, it need not make a
     copy; otherwise a copy must be made.

`FUNCTION_ARG_REG_LITTLE_ENDIAN'
     If defined TRUE on a big-endian system then structure arguments
     passed (and returned) in registers are passed in a little-endian
     manner instead of the big-endian manner.  On the HP-UX IA64 and
     PA64 platforms structures are aligned differently then integral
     values and setting this value to true will allow for the special
     handling of structure arguments and return values.

`CUMULATIVE_ARGS'
     A C type for declaring a variable that is used as the first
     argument of `FUNCTION_ARG' and other related values.  For some
     target machines, the type `int' suffices and can hold the number
     of bytes of argument so far.

     There is no need to record in `CUMULATIVE_ARGS' anything about the
     arguments that have been passed on the stack.  The compiler has
     other variables to keep track of that.  For target machines on
     which all arguments are passed on the stack, there is no need to
     store anything in `CUMULATIVE_ARGS'; however, the data structure
     must exist and should not be empty, so use `int'.

`INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS (CUM, FNTYPE, LIBNAME, INDIRECT)'
     A C statement (sans semicolon) for initializing the variable CUM
     for the state at the beginning of the argument list.  The variable
     has type `CUMULATIVE_ARGS'.  The value of FNTYPE is the tree node
     for the data type of the function which will receive the args, or 0
     if the args are to a compiler support library function.  The value
     of INDIRECT is nonzero when processing an indirect call, for
     example a call through a function pointer.  The value of INDIRECT
     is zero for a call to an explicitly named function, a library
     function call, or when `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS' is used to find
     arguments for the function being compiled.

     When processing a call to a compiler support library function,
     LIBNAME identifies which one.  It is a `symbol_ref' rtx which
     contains the name of the function, as a string.  LIBNAME is 0 when
     an ordinary C function call is being processed.  Thus, each time
     this macro is called, either LIBNAME or FNTYPE is nonzero, but
     never both of them at once.

`INIT_CUMULATIVE_LIBCALL_ARGS (CUM, MODE, LIBNAME)'
     Like `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS' but only used for outgoing libcalls,
     it gets a `MODE' argument instead of FNTYPE, that would be `NULL'.
     INDIRECT would always be zero, too.  If this macro is not
     defined, `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS (cum, NULL_RTX, libname, 0)' is
     used instead.

`INIT_CUMULATIVE_INCOMING_ARGS (CUM, FNTYPE, LIBNAME)'
     Like `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS' but overrides it for the purposes of
     finding the arguments for the function being compiled.  If this
     macro is undefined, `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS' is used instead.

     The value passed for LIBNAME is always 0, since library routines
     with special calling conventions are never compiled with GCC.  The
     argument LIBNAME exists for symmetry with `INIT_CUMULATIVE_ARGS'.

`FUNCTION_ARG_ADVANCE (CUM, MODE, TYPE, NAMED)'
     A C statement (sans semicolon) to update the summarizer variable
     CUM to advance past an argument in the argument list.  The values
     MODE, TYPE and NAMED describe that argument.  Once this is done,
     the variable CUM is suitable for analyzing the _following_
     argument with `FUNCTION_ARG', etc.

     This macro need not do anything if the argument in question was
     passed on the stack.  The compiler knows how to track the amount
     of stack space used for arguments without any special help.

`FUNCTION_ARG_PADDING (MODE, TYPE)'
     If defined, a C expression which determines whether, and in which
     direction, to pad out an argument with extra space.  The value
     should be of type `enum direction': either `upward' to pad above
     the argument, `downward' to pad below, or `none' to inhibit
     padding.

     The _amount_ of padding is always just enough to reach the next
     multiple of `FUNCTION_ARG_BOUNDARY'; this macro does not control
     it.

     This macro has a default definition which is right for most
     systems.  For little-endian machines, the default is to pad
     upward.  For big-endian machines, the default is to pad downward
     for an argument of constant size shorter than an `int', and upward
     otherwise.

`PAD_VARARGS_DOWN'
     If defined, a C expression which determines whether the default
     implementation of va_arg will attempt to pad down before reading
     the next argument, if that argument is smaller than its aligned
     space as controlled by `PARM_BOUNDARY'.  If this macro is not
     defined, all such arguments are padded down if `BYTES_BIG_ENDIAN'
     is true.

`FUNCTION_ARG_BOUNDARY (MODE, TYPE)'
     If defined, a C expression that gives the alignment boundary, in
     bits, of an argument with the specified mode and type.  If it is
     not defined, `PARM_BOUNDARY' is used for all arguments.

`FUNCTION_ARG_REGNO_P (REGNO)'
     A C expression that is nonzero if REGNO is the number of a hard
     register in which function arguments are sometimes passed.  This
     does _not_ include implicit arguments such as the static chain and
     the structure-value address.  On many machines, no registers can be
     used for this purpose since all function arguments are pushed on
     the stack.

`LOAD_ARGS_REVERSED'
     If defined, the order in which arguments are loaded into their
     respective argument registers is reversed so that the last
     argument is loaded first.  This macro only affects arguments
     passed in registers.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Scalar Return,  Next: Aggregate Return,  Prev: Register Arguments,  Up: Stack and Calling

How Scalar Function Values Are Returned
---------------------------------------

   This section discusses the macros that control returning scalars as
values--values that can fit in registers.

`FUNCTION_VALUE (VALTYPE, FUNC)'
     A C expression to create an RTX representing the place where a
     function returns a value of data type VALTYPE.  VALTYPE is a tree
     node representing a data type.  Write `TYPE_MODE (VALTYPE)' to get
     the machine mode used to represent that type.  On many machines,
     only the mode is relevant.  (Actually, on most machines, scalar
     values are returned in the same place regardless of mode).

     The value of the expression is usually a `reg' RTX for the hard
     register where the return value is stored.  The value can also be a
     `parallel' RTX, if the return value is in multiple places.  See
     `FUNCTION_ARG' for an explanation of the `parallel' form.

     If `PROMOTE_FUNCTION_RETURN' is defined, you must apply the same
     promotion rules specified in `PROMOTE_MODE' if VALTYPE is a scalar
     type.

     If the precise function being called is known, FUNC is a tree node
     (`FUNCTION_DECL') for it; otherwise, FUNC is a null pointer.  This
     makes it possible to use a different value-returning convention
     for specific functions when all their calls are known.

     `FUNCTION_VALUE' is not used for return vales with aggregate data
     types, because these are returned in another way.  See
     `STRUCT_VALUE_REGNUM' and related macros, below.

`FUNCTION_OUTGOING_VALUE (VALTYPE, FUNC)'
     Define this macro if the target machine has "register windows" so
     that the register in which a function returns its value is not the
     same as the one in which the caller sees the value.

     For such machines, `FUNCTION_VALUE' computes the register in which
     the caller will see the value.  `FUNCTION_OUTGOING_VALUE' should be
     defined in a similar fashion to tell the function where to put the
     value.

     If `FUNCTION_OUTGOING_VALUE' is not defined, `FUNCTION_VALUE'
     serves both purposes.

     `FUNCTION_OUTGOING_VALUE' is not used for return vales with
     aggregate data types, because these are returned in another way.
     See `STRUCT_VALUE_REGNUM' and related macros, below.

`LIBCALL_VALUE (MODE)'
     A C expression to create an RTX representing the place where a
     library function returns a value of mode MODE.  If the precise
     function being called is known, FUNC is a tree node
     (`FUNCTION_DECL') for it; otherwise, FUNC is a null pointer.  This
     makes it possible to use a different value-returning convention
     for specific functions when all their calls are known.

     Note that "library function" in this context means a compiler
     support routine, used to perform arithmetic, whose name is known
     specially by the compiler and was not mentioned in the C code being
     compiled.

     The definition of `LIBRARY_VALUE' need not be concerned aggregate
     data types, because none of the library functions returns such
     types.

`FUNCTION_VALUE_REGNO_P (REGNO)'
     A C expression that is nonzero if REGNO is the number of a hard
     register in which the values of called function may come back.

     A register whose use for returning values is limited to serving as
     the second of a pair (for a value of type `double', say) need not
     be recognized by this macro.  So for most machines, this definition
     suffices:

          #define FUNCTION_VALUE_REGNO_P(N) ((N) == 0)

     If the machine has register windows, so that the caller and the
     called function use different registers for the return value, this
     macro should recognize only the caller's register numbers.

`APPLY_RESULT_SIZE'
     Define this macro if `untyped_call' and `untyped_return' need more
     space than is implied by `FUNCTION_VALUE_REGNO_P' for saving and
     restoring an arbitrary return value.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Aggregate Return,  Next: Caller Saves,  Prev: Scalar Return,  Up: Stack and Calling

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.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Caller Saves,  Next: Function Entry,  Prev: Aggregate Return,  Up: Stack and Calling

Caller-Saves Register Allocation
--------------------------------

   If you enable it, GCC can save registers around function calls.  This
makes it possible to use call-clobbered registers to hold variables that
must live across calls.

`DEFAULT_CALLER_SAVES'
     Define this macro if function calls on the target machine do not
     preserve any registers; in other words, if `CALL_USED_REGISTERS'
     has 1 for all registers.  When defined, this macro enables
     `-fcaller-saves' by default for all optimization levels.  It has
     no effect for optimization levels 2 and higher, where
     `-fcaller-saves' is the default.

`CALLER_SAVE_PROFITABLE (REFS, CALLS)'
     A C expression to determine whether it is worthwhile to consider
     placing a pseudo-register in a call-clobbered hard register and
     saving and restoring it around each function call.  The expression
     should be 1 when this is worth doing, and 0 otherwise.

     If you don't define this macro, a default is used which is good on
     most machines: `4 * CALLS < REFS'.

`HARD_REGNO_CALLER_SAVE_MODE (REGNO, NREGS)'
     A C expression specifying which mode is required for saving NREGS
     of a pseudo-register in call-clobbered hard register REGNO.  If
     REGNO is unsuitable for caller save, `VOIDmode' should be
     returned.  For most machines this macro need not be defined since
     GCC will select the smallest suitable mode.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Function Entry,  Next: Profiling,  Prev: Caller Saves,  Up: Stack and Calling

Function Entry and Exit
-----------------------

   This section describes the macros that output function entry
("prologue") and exit ("epilogue") code.

 - Target Hook: void TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_PROLOGUE (FILE *FILE,
          HOST_WIDE_INT SIZE)
     If defined, a function that outputs the assembler code for entry
     to a function.  The prologue is responsible for setting up the
     stack frame, initializing the frame pointer register, saving
     registers that must be saved, and allocating SIZE additional bytes
     of storage for the local variables.  SIZE is an integer.  FILE is
     a stdio stream to which the assembler code should be output.

     The label for the beginning of the function need not be output by
     this macro.  That has already been done when the macro is run.

     To determine which registers to save, the macro can refer to the
     array `regs_ever_live': element R is nonzero if hard register R is
     used anywhere within the function.  This implies the function
     prologue should save register R, provided it is not one of the
     call-used registers.  (`TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' must
     likewise use `regs_ever_live'.)

     On machines that have "register windows", the function entry code
     does not save on the stack the registers that are in the windows,
     even if they are supposed to be preserved by function calls;
     instead it takes appropriate steps to "push" the register stack,
     if any non-call-used registers are used in the function.

     On machines where functions may or may not have frame-pointers, the
     function entry code must vary accordingly; it must set up the frame
     pointer if one is wanted, and not otherwise.  To determine whether
     a frame pointer is in wanted, the macro can refer to the variable
     `frame_pointer_needed'.  The variable's value will be 1 at run
     time in a function that needs a frame pointer.  *Note
     Elimination::.

     The function entry code is responsible for allocating any stack
     space required for the function.  This stack space consists of the
     regions listed below.  In most cases, these regions are allocated
     in the order listed, with the last listed region closest to the
     top of the stack (the lowest address if `STACK_GROWS_DOWNWARD' is
     defined, and the highest address if it is not defined).  You can
     use a different order for a machine if doing so is more convenient
     or required for compatibility reasons.  Except in cases where
     required by standard or by a debugger, there is no reason why the
     stack layout used by GCC need agree with that used by other
     compilers for a machine.

 - Target Hook: void TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_END_PROLOGUE (FILE *FILE)
     If defined, a function that outputs assembler code at the end of a
     prologue.  This should be used when the function prologue is being
     emitted as RTL, and you have some extra assembler that needs to be
     emitted.  *Note prologue instruction pattern::.

 - Target Hook: void TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_BEGIN_EPILOGUE (FILE *FILE)
     If defined, a function that outputs assembler code at the start of
     an epilogue.  This should be used when the function epilogue is
     being emitted as RTL, and you have some extra assembler that needs
     to be emitted.  *Note epilogue instruction pattern::.

 - Target Hook: void TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE (FILE *FILE,
          HOST_WIDE_INT SIZE)
     If defined, a function that outputs the assembler code for exit
     from a function.  The epilogue is responsible for restoring the
     saved registers and stack pointer to their values when the
     function was called, and returning control to the caller.  This
     macro takes the same arguments as the macro
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_PROLOGUE', and the registers to restore are
     determined from `regs_ever_live' and `CALL_USED_REGISTERS' in the
     same way.

     On some machines, there is a single instruction that does all the
     work of returning from the function.  On these machines, give that
     instruction the name `return' and do not define the macro
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' at all.

     Do not define a pattern named `return' if you want the
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' to be used.  If you want the target
     switches to control whether return instructions or epilogues are
     used, define a `return' pattern with a validity condition that
     tests the target switches appropriately.  If the `return'
     pattern's validity condition is false, epilogues will be used.

     On machines where functions may or may not have frame-pointers, the
     function exit code must vary accordingly.  Sometimes the code for
     these two cases is completely different.  To determine whether a
     frame pointer is wanted, the macro can refer to the variable
     `frame_pointer_needed'.  The variable's value will be 1 when
     compiling a function that needs a frame pointer.

     Normally, `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_PROLOGUE' and
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' must treat leaf functions specially.
     The C variable `current_function_is_leaf' is nonzero for such a
     function.  *Note Leaf Functions::.

     On some machines, some functions pop their arguments on exit while
     others leave that for the caller to do.  For example, the 68020
     when given `-mrtd' pops arguments in functions that take a fixed
     number of arguments.

     Your definition of the macro `RETURN_POPS_ARGS' decides which
     functions pop their own arguments.  `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE'
     needs to know what was decided.  The variable that is called
     `current_function_pops_args' is the number of bytes of its
     arguments that a function should pop.  *Note Scalar Return::.

        * A region of `current_function_pretend_args_size' bytes of
          uninitialized space just underneath the first argument
          arriving on the stack.  (This may not be at the very start of
          the allocated stack region if the calling sequence has pushed
          anything else since pushing the stack arguments.  But
          usually, on such machines, nothing else has been pushed yet,
          because the function prologue itself does all the pushing.)
          This region is used on machines where an argument may be
          passed partly in registers and partly in memory, and, in some
          cases to support the features in `<varargs.h>' and
          `<stdarg.h>'.

        * An area of memory used to save certain registers used by the
          function.  The size of this area, which may also include
          space for such things as the return address and pointers to
          previous stack frames, is machine-specific and usually
          depends on which registers have been used in the function.
          Machines with register windows often do not require a save
          area.

        * A region of at least SIZE bytes, possibly rounded up to an
          allocation boundary, to contain the local variables of the
          function.  On some machines, this region and the save area
          may occur in the opposite order, with the save area closer to
          the top of the stack.

        * Optionally, when `ACCUMULATE_OUTGOING_ARGS' is defined, a
          region of `current_function_outgoing_args_size' bytes to be
          used for outgoing argument lists of the function.  *Note
          Stack Arguments::.

     Normally, it is necessary for the macros
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_PROLOGUE' and `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE'
     to treat leaf functions specially.  The C variable
     `current_function_is_leaf' is nonzero for such a function.

`EXIT_IGNORE_STACK'
     Define this macro as a C expression that is nonzero if the return
     instruction or the function epilogue ignores the value of the stack
     pointer; in other words, if it is safe to delete an instruction to
     adjust the stack pointer before a return from the function.

     Note that this macro's value is relevant only for functions for
     which frame pointers are maintained.  It is never safe to delete a
     final stack adjustment in a function that has no frame pointer,
     and the compiler knows this regardless of `EXIT_IGNORE_STACK'.

`EPILOGUE_USES (REGNO)'
     Define this macro as a C expression that is nonzero for registers
     that are used by the epilogue or the `return' pattern.  The stack
     and frame pointer registers are already be assumed to be used as
     needed.

`EH_USES (REGNO)'
     Define this macro as a C expression that is nonzero for registers
     that are used by the exception handling mechanism, and so should
     be considered live on entry to an exception edge.

`DELAY_SLOTS_FOR_EPILOGUE'
     Define this macro if the function epilogue contains delay slots to
     which instructions from the rest of the function can be "moved".
     The definition should be a C expression whose value is an integer
     representing the number of delay slots there.

`ELIGIBLE_FOR_EPILOGUE_DELAY (INSN, N)'
     A C expression that returns 1 if INSN can be placed in delay slot
     number N of the epilogue.

     The argument N is an integer which identifies the delay slot now
     being considered (since different slots may have different rules of
     eligibility).  It is never negative and is always less than the
     number of epilogue delay slots (what `DELAY_SLOTS_FOR_EPILOGUE'
     returns).  If you reject a particular insn for a given delay slot,
     in principle, it may be reconsidered for a subsequent delay slot.
     Also, other insns may (at least in principle) be considered for
     the so far unfilled delay slot.

     The insns accepted to fill the epilogue delay slots are put in an
     RTL list made with `insn_list' objects, stored in the variable
     `current_function_epilogue_delay_list'.  The insn for the first
     delay slot comes first in the list.  Your definition of the macro
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE' should fill the delay slots by
     outputting the insns in this list, usually by calling
     `final_scan_insn'.

     You need not define this macro if you did not define
     `DELAY_SLOTS_FOR_EPILOGUE'.

`ASM_OUTPUT_MI_THUNK (FILE, THUNK_FNDECL, DELTA, FUNCTION)'
     A C compound statement that outputs the assembler code for a thunk
     function, used to implement C++ virtual function calls with
     multiple inheritance.  The thunk acts as a wrapper around a
     virtual function, adjusting the implicit object parameter before
     handing control off to the real function.

     First, emit code to add the integer DELTA to the location that
     contains the incoming first argument.  Assume that this argument
     contains a pointer, and is the one used to pass the `this' pointer
     in C++.  This is the incoming argument _before_ the function
     prologue, e.g. `%o0' on a sparc.  The addition must preserve the
     values of all other incoming arguments.

     After the addition, emit code to jump to FUNCTION, which is a
     `FUNCTION_DECL'.  This is a direct pure jump, not a call, and does
     not touch the return address.  Hence returning from FUNCTION will
     return to whoever called the current `thunk'.

     The effect must be as if FUNCTION had been called directly with
     the adjusted first argument.  This macro is responsible for
     emitting all of the code for a thunk function;
     `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_PROLOGUE' and `TARGET_ASM_FUNCTION_EPILOGUE'
     are not invoked.

     The THUNK_FNDECL is redundant.  (DELTA and FUNCTION have already
     been extracted from it.)  It might possibly be useful on some
     targets, but probably not.

     If you do not define this macro, the target-independent code in
     the C++ front end will generate a less efficient heavyweight thunk
     that calls FUNCTION instead of jumping to it.  The generic
     approach does not support varargs.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Profiling,  Next: Tail Calls,  Prev: Function Entry,  Up: Stack and Calling

Generating Code for Profiling
-----------------------------

   These macros will help you generate code for profiling.

`FUNCTION_PROFILER (FILE, LABELNO)'
     A C statement or compound statement to output to FILE some
     assembler code to call the profiling subroutine `mcount'.

     The details of how `mcount' expects to be called are determined by
     your operating system environment, not by GCC.  To figure them out,
     compile a small program for profiling using the system's installed
     C compiler and look at the assembler code that results.

     Older implementations of `mcount' expect the address of a counter
     variable to be loaded into some register.  The name of this
     variable is `LP' followed by the number LABELNO, so you would
     generate the name using `LP%d' in a `fprintf'.

`PROFILE_HOOK'
     A C statement or compound statement to output to FILE some assembly
     code to call the profiling subroutine `mcount' even the target does
     not support profiling.

`NO_PROFILE_COUNTERS'
     Define this macro if the `mcount' subroutine on your system does
     not need a counter variable allocated for each function.  This is
     true for almost all modern implementations.  If you define this
     macro, you must not use the LABELNO argument to
     `FUNCTION_PROFILER'.

`PROFILE_BEFORE_PROLOGUE'
     Define this macro if the code for function profiling should come
     before the function prologue.  Normally, the profiling code comes
     after.

`TARGET_ALLOWS_PROFILING_WITHOUT_FRAME_POINTER'
     On some targets, it is impossible to use profiling when the frame
     pointer has been omitted.  For example, on x86 GNU/Linux systems,
     the `mcount' routine provided by the GNU C Library finds the
     address of the routine that called the routine that called `mcount'
     by looking in the immediate caller's stack frame.  If the immediate
     caller has no frame pointer, this lookup will fail.

     By default, GCC assumes that the target does allow profiling when
     the frame pointer is omitted.  This macro should be defined to a C
     expression that evaluates to `false' if the target does not allow
     profiling when the frame pointer is omitted.


File: gccint.info,  Node: Tail Calls,  Prev: Profiling,  Up: Stack and Calling

Permitting tail calls
---------------------

`FUNCTION_OK_FOR_SIBCALL (DECL)'
     A C expression that evaluates to true if it is ok to perform a
     sibling call to DECL from the current function.

     It is not uncommon for limitations of calling conventions to
     prevent tail calls to functions outside the current unit of
     translation, or during PIC compilation.  Use this macro to enforce
     these restrictions, as the `sibcall' md pattern can not fail, or
     fall over to a "normal" call.

