version 1.5, 2002/08/01 21:14:25
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version 1.7, 2002/08/08 08:33:06
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Line 29 machine code.
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Line 29 machine code.
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@end itemize |
@end itemize |
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Such a division is usually used in interpreters, for modularity as well |
Such a division is usually used in interpreters, for modularity as well |
as for efficiency reasons. The virtual machine code is typically passed |
as for efficiency. The virtual machine code is typically passed between |
between front end and virtual machine interpreter in memory, like in a |
front end and virtual machine interpreter in memory, like in a |
load-and-go compiler; this avoids the complexity and time cost of |
load-and-go compiler; this avoids the complexity and time cost of |
writing the code to a file and reading it again. |
writing the code to a file and reading it again. |
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Line 129 Vmgen makes it even easier to implement
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Line 129 Vmgen makes it even easier to implement
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techniques for building efficient interpreters. |
techniques for building efficient interpreters. |
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@c ******************************************************************** |
@c ******************************************************************** |
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@chapter Concepts |
@chapter Concepts |
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@c -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
@c -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Line 203 harder, but might be possible (contact u
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Line 202 harder, but might be possible (contact u
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@c reference counting might be possible by including counting code in |
@c reference counting might be possible by including counting code in |
@c the conversion macros. |
@c the conversion macros. |
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@section Dispatch |
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Understanding this section is probably not necessary for using vmgen, |
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but it may help. You may want to skip it now, and read it if you find statements about dispatch methods confusing. |
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After executing one VM instruction, the VM interpreter has to dispatch |
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the next VM instruction (vmgen calls the dispatch routine @samp{NEXT}). |
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Vmgen supports two methods of dispatch: |
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@table |
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@item switch dispatch |
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In this method the VM interpreter contains a giant @code{switch} |
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statement, with one @code{case} for each VM instruction. The VM |
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instructions are represented by integers (e.g., produced by an |
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@code{enum}) in the VM code, and dipatch occurs by loading the next |
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integer from the VM code, @code{switch}ing on it, and continuing at the |
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appropriate @code{case}; after executing the VM instruction, jump back |
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to the dispatch code. |
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@item threaded code |
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This method represents a VM instruction in the VM code by the address of |
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the start of the machine code fragment for executing the VM instruction. |
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Dispatch consists of loading this address, jumping to it, and |
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incrementing the VM instruction pointer. Typically the threaded-code |
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dispatch code is appended directly to the code for executing the VM |
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instruction. Threaded code cannot be implemented in ANSI C, but it can |
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be implemented using GNU C's labels-as-values extension (@pxref{labels |
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as values}). |
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@end table |
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@c ************************************************************* |
@c ************************************************************* |
@chapter Invoking vmgen |
@chapter Invoking vmgen |
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Line 681 purposes. This chapter is just the refe
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Line 712 purposes. This chapter is just the refe
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etc. used by the generated code, and the other context expected by the |
etc. used by the generated code, and the other context expected by the |
generated code, and what you can do with the various generated files. |
generated code, and what you can do with the various generated files. |
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@section VM engine |
@section VM engine |
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The VM engine is the VM interpreter that executes the VM code. It is |
The VM engine is the VM interpreter that executes the VM code. It is |
essential for an interpretive system. |
essential for an interpretive system. |
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The main file generated for the VM interpreter is |
Vmgen supports two methods of VM instruction dispatch: @emph{threaded |
@file{@var{name}-vm.i}. It uses the following macros and variables (and |
code} (fast, but gcc-specific), and @emph{switch dispatch} (slow, but |
you have to define them): |
portable across C compilers); you can use conditional compilation |
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(@samp{defined(__GNUC__)}) to choose between these methods, and our |
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example does so. |
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For both methods, the VM engine is contained in a C-level function. |
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Vmgen generates most of the contents of the function for you |
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(@file{@var{name}-vm.i}), but you have to define this function, and |
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macros and variables used in the engine, and initialize the variables. |
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In our example the engine function also includes |
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@file{@var{name}-labels.i} (@pxref{VM instruction table}). |
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The following macros and variables are used in @file{@var{name}-vm.i}: |
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@table @code |
@table @code |
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Line 813 basic type of the stack.
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Line 856 basic type of the stack.
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@end table |
@end table |
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The file @file{@var{name}-labels.i} is used for enumerating or listing |
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all virtual machine instructions and uses the following macro: |
@section{VM instruction table} |
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For threaded code we also need to produce a table containing the labels |
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of all VM instructions. This is needed for VM code generation |
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(@pxref{VM code generation}), and it has to be done in the engine |
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function, because the labels are not visible outside. It then has to be |
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passed outside the function (and assigned to @samp{vm_prim}), to be used |
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by the VM code generation functions. |
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This means that the engine function has to be called first to produce |
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the VM instruction table, and later, after generating VM code, it has to |
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be called again to execute the generated VM code (yes, this is ugly). |
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In our example program, these two modes of calling the engine function |
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are differentiated by the value of the parameter ip0 (if it equals 0, |
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then the table is passed out, otherwise the VM code is executed); in our |
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example, we pass the table out by assigning it to @samp{vm_prim} and |
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returning from @samp{engine}. |
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In our example, we also build such a table for switch dispatch; this is |
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mainly done for uniformity. |
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For switch dispatch, we also need to define the VM instruction opcodes |
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used as case labels in an @code{enum}. |
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For both purposes (VM instruction table, and enum), the file |
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@file{@var{name}-labels.i} is generated by vmgen. You have to define |
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the following macro used in this file: |
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@table @samp |
@table @samp |
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@item INST_ADDR(@var{inst_name}) |
@item INST_ADDR(@var{inst_name}) |
For switch dispatch, this is just the name of the switch label (the same |
For switch dispatch, this is just the name of the switch label (the same |
name as used in @samp{LABEL(@var{inst_name})}). For threaded-code |
name as used in @samp{LABEL(@var{inst_name})}), for both uses of |
dispatch, this is the address of the label defined in |
@file{@var{name}-labels.i}. For threaded-code dispatch, this is the |
@samp{LABEL(@var{inst_name})}); the address is taken with @samp{&&} |
address of the label defined in @samp{LABEL(@var{inst_name})}); the |
(@pxref{labels-as-values}). |
address is taken with @samp{&&} (@pxref{labels-as-values}). |
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@end table |
@end table |
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@section VM code generation |
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Vmgen generates VM code generation functions in @file{@var{name}-gen.i} |
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that the front end can call to generate VM code. This is essential for |
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an interpretive system. |
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For a VM instruction @samp{x ( #a b #c -- d )}, vmgen generates a |
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function with the prototype |
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@example |
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void gen_x(Inst **ctp, a_type a, c_type c) |
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@end example |
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The @code{ctp} argument points to a pointer to the next instruction. |
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@code{*ctp} is increased by the generation functions; i.e., you should |
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allocate memory for the code to be generated beforehand, and start with |
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*ctp set at the start of this memory area. Before running out of |
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memory, allocate a new area, and generate a VM-level jump to the new |
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area (this is not implemented in our examples). |
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The other arguments correspond to the immediate arguments of the VM |
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instruction (with their appropriate types as defined in the |
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@code{type_prefix} declaration. |
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The following types, variables, and functions are used in |
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@file{@var{name}-gen.i}: |
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@table @samp |
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@item Inst |
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The type of the VM instruction; if you use threaded code, this is |
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@code{void *}; for switch dispatch this is an integer type. |
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@item vm_prim |
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The VM instruction table (type: @code{Inst *}, @pxref{VM instruction table}). |
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@item gen_inst(Inst **ctp, Inst i) |
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This function compiles the instruction @code{i}. Take a look at it in |
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@file{vmgen-ex/peephole.c}. It is trivial when you don't want to use |
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superinstructions (just the last two lines of the example function), and |
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slightly more complicated in the example due to its ability to use |
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superinstructions (@pxref{Peephole optimization}). |
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@item genarg_@var{type_prefix}(Inst **ctp, @var{type} @var{type_prefix}) |
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This compiles an immediate argument of @var{type} (as defined in a |
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@code{type-prefix} definition). These functions are trivial to define |
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(see @file{vmgen-ex/support.c}). You need one of these functions for |
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every type that you use as immediate argument. |
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@end table |
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In addition to using these functions to generate code, you should call |
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@code{BB_BOUNDARY} at every basic block entry point if you ever want to |
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use superinstructions (or if you want to use the profiling supported by |
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vmgen; however, this is mainly useful for selecting superinstructions). |
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If you use @code{BB_BOUNDARY}, you should also define it (take a look at |
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its definition in @file{vmgen-ex/mini.y}). |
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You do not need to call @code{BB_BOUNDARY} after branches, because you |
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will not define superinstructions that contain branches in the middle |
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(and if you did, and it would work, there would be no reason to end the |
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superinstruction at the branch), and because the branches announce |
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themselves to the profiler. |
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@section Peephole optimization |
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You need peephole optimization only if you want to use |
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superinstructions. But having the code for it does not hurt much if you |
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do not use superinstructions. |
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A simple greedy peephole optimization algorithm is used for |
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superinstruction selection: every time @code{gen_inst} compiles a VM |
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instruction, it looks if it can combine it with the last VM instruction |
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(which may also be a superinstruction resulting from a previous peephole |
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optimization); if so, it changes the last instruction to the combined |
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instruction instead of laying down @code{i} at the current @samp{*ctp}. |
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The code for peephole optimization is in @file{vmgen-ex/peephole.c}. |
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You can use this file almost verbatim. Vmgen generates |
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@file{@var{file}-peephole.i} which contains data for the peephoile |
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optimizer. |
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You have to call @samp{init_peeptable()} after initializing |
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@samp{vm_prim}, and before compiling any VM code to initialize data |
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structures for peephole optimization. After that, compiling with the VM |
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code generation functions will automatically combine VM instructions |
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into superinstructions. Since you do not want to combine instructions |
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across VM branch targets (otherwise there will not be a proper VM |
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instruction to branch to), you have to call @code{BB_BOUNDARY} |
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(@pxref{VM code generation}) at branch targets. |
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@section VM disassembler |
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A VM code disassembler is optional for an interpretive system, but |
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highly recommended during its development and maintenance, because it is |
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very useful for detecting bugs in the front end (and for distinguishing |
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them from VM interpreter bugs). |
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Vmgen supports VM code disassembling by generating |
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@file{@var{file}-disasm.i}. This code has to be wrapped into a |
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function, as is done in @file{vmgen-ex/disasm.i}. You can use this file |
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almost verbatim. In addition to @samp{vm_@var{A}2@var{B}(a,b)}, |
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@samp{vm_out}, @samp{printarg_@var{type}(@var{value})}, which are |
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explained above, the following macros and variables are used in |
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@file{@var{file}-disasm.i} (and you have to define them): |
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@table @samp |
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@item ip |
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This variable points to the opcode of the current VM instruction. |
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@item IP IPTOS |
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@samp{IPTOS} is the first argument of the current VM instruction, and |
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@samp{IP} points to it; this is just as in the engine, but here |
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@samp{ip} points to the opcode of the VM instruction (in contrast to the |
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engine, where @samp{ip} points to the next cell, or even one further). |
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@item VM_IS_INST(Inst i, int n) |
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Tests if the opcode @samp{i} is the same as the @samp{n}th entry in the |
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VM instruction table. |
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@end table |
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@section VM profiler |
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The VM profiler is designed for getting execution and occurence counts |
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for VM instruction sequences, and these counts can then be used for |
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selecting sequences as superinstructions. The VM profiler is probably |
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not useful as profiling tool for the interpretive system (i.e., the VM |
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profiler is useful for the developers, but not the users of the |
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interpretive system). |
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@section Stacks, types, and prefixes |
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