--- gcc/gcc.info-10 2018/04/24 18:06:57 1.1.1.5 +++ gcc/gcc.info-10 2018/04/24 18:17:56 1.1.1.7 @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -This is Info file gcc.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.54 from the input +This is Info file gcc.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the input file gcc.texi. This file documents the use and the internals of the GNU compiler. @@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ file gcc.texi. Published by the Free Software Foundation 675 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA - Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc. + Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, +Inc. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are @@ -14,1042 +15,945 @@ preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also -that the sections entitled "GNU General Public License" and "Protect -Your Freedom--Fight `Look And Feel'" are included exactly as in the -original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is -distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this -one. +that the sections entitled "GNU General Public License," "Funding for +Free Software," and "Protect Your Freedom--Fight `Look And Feel'" are +included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire +resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission +notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that the sections entitled "GNU General Public -License" and "Protect Your Freedom--Fight `Look And Feel'", and this -permission notice, may be included in translations approved by the Free -Software Foundation instead of in the original English. +License," "Funding for Free Software," and "Protect Your Freedom--Fight +`Look And Feel'", and this permission notice, may be included in +translations approved by the Free Software Foundation instead of in the +original English.  -File: gcc.info, Node: VMS Misc, Prev: Global Declarations, Up: VMS +File: gcc.info, Node: External Bugs, Next: Incompatibilities, Prev: Interoperation, Up: Trouble -Other VMS Issues -================ +Problems Compiling Certain Programs +=================================== - GNU CC automatically arranges for `main' to return 1 by default if -you fail to specify an explicit return value. This will be interpreted -by VMS as a status code indicating a normal successful completion. -Version 1 of GNU CC did not provide this default. - - GNU CC on VMS works only with the GNU assembler, GAS. You need -version 1.37 or later of GAS in order to produce value debugging -information for the VMS debugger. Use the ordinary VMS linker with the -object files produced by GAS. - - Under previous versions of GNU CC, the generated code would -occasionally give strange results when linked to the sharable `VAXCRTL' -library. Now this should work. - - A caveat for use of `const' global variables: the `const' modifier -must be specified in every external declaration of the variable in all -of the source files that use that variable. Otherwise the linker will -issue warnings about conflicting attributes for the variable. Your -program will still work despite the warnings, but the variable will be -placed in writable storage. - - Although the VMS linker does distinguish between upper and lower case -letters in global symbols, most VMS compilers convert all such symbols -into upper case and most run-time library routines also have upper case -names. To be able to reliably call such routines, GNU CC (by means of -the assembler GAS) converts global symbols into upper case like other -VMS compilers. However, since the usual practice in C is to distinguish -case, GNU CC (via GAS) tries to preserve usual C behavior by augmenting -each name that is not all lower case. This means truncating the name -to at most 23 characters and then adding more characters at the end -which encode the case pattern of those 23. Names which contain at -least one dollar sign are an exception; they are converted directly into -upper case without augmentation. - - Name augmentation yields bad results for programs that use -precompiled libraries (such as Xlib) which were generated by another -compiler. You can use the compiler option `/NOCASE_HACK' to inhibit -augmentation; it makes external C functions and variables -case-independent as is usual on VMS. Alternatively, you could write -all references to the functions and variables in such libraries using -lower case; this will work on VMS, but is not portable to other -systems. The compiler option `/NAMES' also provides control over -global name handling. - - Function and variable names are handled somewhat differently with GNU -C++. The GNU C++ compiler performs "name mangling" on function names, -which means that it adds information to the function name to describe -the data types of the arguments that the function takes. One result of -this is that the name of a function can become very long. Since the -VMS linker only recognizes the first 31 characters in a name, special -action is taken to ensure that each function and variable has a unique -name that can be represented in 31 characters. - - If the name (plus a name augmentation, if required) is less than 32 -characters in length, then no special action is performed. If the name -is longer than 31 characters, the assembler (GAS) will generate a hash -string based upon the function name, truncate the function name to 23 -characters, and append the hash string to the truncated name. If the -`/VERBOSE' compiler option is used, the assembler will print both the -full and truncated names of each symbol that is truncated. - - The `/NOCASE_HACK' compiler option should not be used when you are -compiling programs that use libg++. libg++ has several instances of -objects (i.e. `Filebuf' and `filebuf') which become indistinguishable -in a case-insensitive environment. This leads to cases where you need -to inhibit augmentation selectively (if you were using libg++ and Xlib -in the same program, for example). There is no special feature for -doing this, but you can get the result by defining a macro for each -mixed case symbol for which you wish to inhibit augmentation. The -macro should expand into the lower case equivalent of itself. For -example: + Certain programs have problems compiling. - #define StuDlyCapS studlycaps + * Parse errors may occur compiling X11 on a Decstation running + Ultrix 4.2 because of problems in DEC's versions of the X11 header + files `X11/Xlib.h' and `X11/Xutil.h'. People recommend adding + `-I/usr/include/mit' to use the MIT versions of the header files, + using the `-traditional' switch to turn off ANSI C, or fixing the + header files by adding this: - These macro definitions can be placed in a header file to minimize -the number of changes to your source code. + #ifdef __STDC__ + #define NeedFunctionPrototypes 0 + #endif + + * If you have trouble compiling Perl on a SunOS 4 system, it may be + because Perl specifies `-I/usr/ucbinclude'. This accesses the + unfixed header files. Perl specifies the options + + -traditional -Dvolatile=__volatile__ + -I/usr/include/sun -I/usr/ucbinclude + -fpcc-struct-return + + most of which are unnecessary with GCC 2.4.5 and newer versions. + You can make a properly working Perl by setting `ccflags' to + `-fwritable-strings' (implied by the `-traditional' in the + original options) and `cppflags' to empty in `config.sh', then + typing `./doSH; make depend; make'. + + * On various 386 Unix systems derived from System V, including SCO, + ISC, and ESIX, you may get error messages about running out of + virtual memory while compiling certain programs. + + You can prevent this problem by linking GNU CC with the GNU malloc + (which thus replaces the malloc that comes with the system). GNU + malloc is available as a separate package, and also in the file + `src/gmalloc.c' in the GNU Emacs 19 distribution. + + If you have installed GNU malloc as a separate library package, + use this option when you relink GNU CC: + + MALLOC=/usr/local/lib/libgmalloc.a + + Alternatively, if you have compiled `gmalloc.c' from Emacs 19, copy + the object file to `gmalloc.o' and use this option when you relink + GNU CC: + + MALLOC=gmalloc.o + + +File: gcc.info, Node: Incompatibilities, Next: Fixed Headers, Prev: External Bugs, Up: Trouble + +Incompatibilities of GNU CC +=========================== + + There are several noteworthy incompatibilities between GNU C and most +existing (non-ANSI) versions of C. The `-traditional' option +eliminates many of these incompatibilities, *but not all*, by telling +GNU C to behave like the other C compilers. + + * GNU CC normally makes string constants read-only. If several + identical-looking string constants are used, GNU CC stores only one + copy of the string. + + One consequence is that you cannot call `mktemp' with a string + constant argument. The function `mktemp' always alters the string + its argument points to. + + Another consequence is that `sscanf' does not work on some systems + when passed a string constant as its format control string or + input. This is because `sscanf' incorrectly tries to write into + the string constant. Likewise `fscanf' and `scanf'. + + The best solution to these problems is to change the program to use + `char'-array variables with initialization strings for these + purposes instead of string constants. But if this is not possible, + you can use the `-fwritable-strings' flag, which directs GNU CC to + handle string constants the same way most C compilers do. + `-traditional' also has this effect, among others. + + * `-2147483648' is positive. + + This is because 2147483648 cannot fit in the type `int', so + (following the ANSI C rules) its data type is `unsigned long int'. + Negating this value yields 2147483648 again. + + * GNU CC does not substitute macro arguments when they appear inside + of string constants. For example, the following macro in GNU CC + + #define foo(a) "a" + + will produce output `"a"' regardless of what the argument A is. + + The `-traditional' option directs GNU CC to handle such cases + (among others) in the old-fashioned (non-ANSI) fashion. + + * When you use `setjmp' and `longjmp', the only automatic variables + guaranteed to remain valid are those declared `volatile'. This is + a consequence of automatic register allocation. Consider this + function: + + jmp_buf j; + + foo () + { + int a, b; + + a = fun1 (); + if (setjmp (j)) + return a; + + a = fun2 (); + /* `longjmp (j)' may occur in `fun3'. */ + return a + fun3 (); + } + + Here `a' may or may not be restored to its first value when the + `longjmp' occurs. If `a' is allocated in a register, then its + first value is restored; otherwise, it keeps the last value stored + in it. + + If you use the `-W' option with the `-O' option, you will get a + warning when GNU CC thinks such a problem might be possible. + + The `-traditional' option directs GNU C to put variables in the + stack by default, rather than in registers, in functions that call + `setjmp'. This results in the behavior found in traditional C + compilers. + + * Programs that use preprocessor directives in the middle of macro + arguments do not work with GNU CC. For example, a program like + this will not work: + + foobar ( + #define luser + hack) + + ANSI C does not permit such a construct. It would make sense to + support it when `-traditional' is used, but it is too much work to + implement. + + * Declarations of external variables and functions within a block + apply only to the block containing the declaration. In other + words, they have the same scope as any other declaration in the + same place. + + In some other C compilers, a `extern' declaration affects all the + rest of the file even if it happens within a block. + + The `-traditional' option directs GNU C to treat all `extern' + declarations as global, like traditional compilers. + + * In traditional C, you can combine `long', etc., with a typedef + name, as shown here: + + typedef int foo; + typedef long foo bar; + + In ANSI C, this is not allowed: `long' and other type modifiers + require an explicit `int'. Because this criterion is expressed by + Bison grammar rules rather than C code, the `-traditional' flag + cannot alter it. + + * PCC allows typedef names to be used as function parameters. The + difficulty described immediately above applies here too. + + * PCC allows whitespace in the middle of compound assignment + operators such as `+='. GNU CC, following the ANSI standard, does + not allow this. The difficulty described immediately above + applies here too. + + * GNU CC complains about unterminated character constants inside of + preprocessor conditionals that fail. Some programs have English + comments enclosed in conditionals that are guaranteed to fail; if + these comments contain apostrophes, GNU CC will probably report an + error. For example, this code would produce an error: + + #if 0 + You can't expect this to work. + #endif + + The best solution to such a problem is to put the text into an + actual C comment delimited by `/*...*/'. However, `-traditional' + suppresses these error messages. + + * Many user programs contain the declaration `long time ();'. In the + past, the system header files on many systems did not actually + declare `time', so it did not matter what type your program + declared it to return. But in systems with ANSI C headers, `time' + is declared to return `time_t', and if that is not the same as + `long', then `long time ();' is erroneous. + + The solution is to change your program to use `time_t' as the + return type of `time'. + + * When compiling functions that return `float', PCC converts it to a + double. GNU CC actually returns a `float'. If you are concerned + with PCC compatibility, you should declare your functions to return + `double'; you might as well say what you mean. + + * When compiling functions that return structures or unions, GNU CC + output code normally uses a method different from that used on most + versions of Unix. As a result, code compiled with GNU CC cannot + call a structure-returning function compiled with PCC, and vice + versa. + + The method used by GNU CC is as follows: a structure or union + which is 1, 2, 4 or 8 bytes long is returned like a scalar. A + structure or union with any other size is stored into an address + supplied by the caller (usually in a special, fixed register, but + on some machines it is passed on the stack). The + machine-description macros `STRUCT_VALUE' and + `STRUCT_INCOMING_VALUE' tell GNU CC where to pass this address. + + By contrast, PCC on most target machines returns structures and + unions of any size by copying the data into an area of static + storage, and then returning the address of that storage as if it + were a pointer value. The caller must copy the data from that + memory area to the place where the value is wanted. GNU CC does + not use this method because it is slower and nonreentrant. + + On some newer machines, PCC uses a reentrant convention for all + structure and union returning. GNU CC on most of these machines + uses a compatible convention when returning structures and unions + in memory, but still returns small structures and unions in + registers. + + You can tell GNU CC to use a compatible convention for all + structure and union returning with the option + `-fpcc-struct-return'. + + * GNU C complains about program fragments such as `0x74ae-0x4000' + which appear to be two hexadecimal constants separated by the minus + operator. Actually, this string is a single "preprocessing token". + Each such token must correspond to one token in C. Since this + does not, GNU C prints an error message. Although it may appear + obvious that what is meant is an operator and two values, the ANSI + C standard specifically requires that this be treated as erroneous. + + A "preprocessing token" is a "preprocessing number" if it begins + with a digit and is followed by letters, underscores, digits, + periods and `e+', `e-', `E+', or `E-' character sequences. + + To make the above program fragment valid, place whitespace in + front of the minus sign. This whitespace will end the + preprocessing number. + + +File: gcc.info, Node: Fixed Headers, Next: Disappointments, Prev: Incompatibilities, Up: Trouble + +Fixed Header Files +================== + + GNU CC needs to install corrected versions of some system header +files. This is because most target systems have some header files that +won't work with GNU CC unless they are changed. Some have bugs, some +are incompatible with ANSI C, and some depend on special features of +other compilers. + + Installing GNU CC automatically creates and installs the fixed header +files, by running a program called `fixincludes' (or for certain +targets an alternative such as `fixinc.svr4'). Normally, you don't +need to pay attention to this. But there are cases where it doesn't do +the right thing automatically. + + * If you update the system's header files, such as by installing a + new system version, the fixed header files of GNU CC are not + automatically updated. The easiest way to update them is to + reinstall GNU CC. (If you want to be clever, look in the makefile + and you can find a shortcut.) + + * On some systems, in particular SunOS 4, header file directories + contain machine-specific symbolic links in certain places. This + makes it possible to share most of the header files among hosts + running the same version of SunOS 4 on different machine models. + + The programs that fix the header files do not understand this + special way of using symbolic links; therefore, the directory of + fixed header files is good only for the machine model used to + build it. + + In SunOS 4, only programs that look inside the kernel will notice + the difference between machine models. Therefore, for most + purposes, you need not be concerned about this. + + It is possible to make separate sets of fixed header files for the + different machine models, and arrange a structure of symbolic + links so as to use the proper set, but you'll have to do this by + hand. + + * On Lynxos, GNU CC by default does not fix the header files. This + is because bugs in the shell cause the `fixincludes' script to + fail. + + This means you will encounter problems due to bugs in the system + header files. It may be no comfort that they aren't GNU CC's + fault, but it does mean that there's nothing for us to do about + them. + + +File: gcc.info, Node: Disappointments, Next: C++ Misunderstandings, Prev: Fixed Headers, Up: Trouble + +Disappointments and Misunderstandings +===================================== + + These problems are perhaps regrettable, but we don't know any +practical way around them. + + * Certain local variables aren't recognized by debuggers when you + compile with optimization. + + This occurs because sometimes GNU CC optimizes the variable out of + existence. There is no way to tell the debugger how to compute the + value such a variable "would have had", and it is not clear that + would be desirable anyway. So GNU CC simply does not mention the + eliminated variable when it writes debugging information. + + You have to expect a certain amount of disagreement between the + executable and your source code, when you use optimization. + + * Users often think it is a bug when GNU CC reports an error for code + like this: + + int foo (struct mumble *); + + struct mumble { ... }; + + int foo (struct mumble *x) + { ... } + + This code really is erroneous, because the scope of `struct + mumble' in the prototype is limited to the argument list + containing it. It does not refer to the `struct mumble' defined + with file scope immediately below--they are two unrelated types + with similar names in different scopes. + + But in the definition of `foo', the file-scope type is used + because that is available to be inherited. Thus, the definition + and the prototype do not match, and you get an error. + + This behavior may seem silly, but it's what the ANSI standard + specifies. It is easy enough for you to make your code work by + moving the definition of `struct mumble' above the prototype. + It's not worth being incompatible with ANSI C just to avoid an + error for the example shown above. + + * Accesses to bitfields even in volatile objects works by accessing + larger objects, such as a byte or a word. You cannot rely on what + size of object is accessed in order to read or write the bitfield; + it may even vary for a given bitfield according to the precise + usage. + + If you care about controlling the amount of memory that is + accessed, use volatile but do not use bitfields. + + * GNU CC comes with shell scripts to fix certain known problems in + system header files. They install corrected copies of various + header files in a special directory where only GNU CC will + normally look for them. The scripts adapt to various systems by + searching all the system header files for the problem cases that + we know about. + + If new system header files are installed, nothing automatically + arranges to update the corrected header files. You will have to + reinstall GNU CC to fix the new header files. More specifically, + go to the build directory and delete the files `stmp-fixinc' and + `stmp-headers', and the subdirectory `include'; then do `make + install' again. + + * On 68000 systems, you can get paradoxical results if you test the + precise values of floating point numbers. For example, you can + find that a floating point value which is not a NaN is not equal + to itself. This results from the fact that the the floating point + registers hold a few more bits of precision than fit in a `double' + in memory. Compiled code moves values between memory and floating + point registers at its convenience, and moving them into memory + truncates them. + + You can partially avoid this problem by using the `-ffloat-store' + option (*note Optimize Options::.). + + * On the MIPS, variable argument functions using `varargs.h' cannot + have a floating point value for the first argument. The reason + for this is that in the absence of a prototype in scope, if the + first argument is a floating point, it is passed in a floating + point register, rather than an integer register. + + If the code is rewritten to use the ANSI standard `stdarg.h' + method of variable arguments, and the prototype is in scope at the + time of the call, everything will work fine.  -File: gcc.info, Node: Portability, Next: Interface, Prev: VMS, Up: Top +File: gcc.info, Node: C++ Misunderstandings, Next: Protoize Caveats, Prev: Disappointments, Up: Trouble -GNU CC and Portability -********************** +Common Misunderstandings with GNU C++ +===================================== + + C++ is a complex language and an evolving one, and its standard +definition (the ANSI C++ draft standard) is also evolving. As a result, +your C++ compiler may occasionally surprise you, even when its behavior +is correct. This section discusses some areas that frequently give +rise to questions of this sort. + +* Menu: - The main goal of GNU CC was to make a good, fast compiler for -machines in the class that the GNU system aims to run on: 32-bit -machines that address 8-bit bytes and have several general registers. -Elegance, theoretical power and simplicity are only secondary. - - GNU CC gets most of the information about the target machine from a -machine description which gives an algebraic formula for each of the -machine's instructions. This is a very clean way to describe the -target. But when the compiler needs information that is difficult to -express in this fashion, I have not hesitated to define an ad-hoc -parameter to the machine description. The purpose of portability is to -reduce the total work needed on the compiler; it was not of interest -for its own sake. - - GNU CC does not contain machine dependent code, but it does contain -code that depends on machine parameters such as endianness (whether the -most significant byte has the highest or lowest address of the bytes in -a word) and the availability of autoincrement addressing. In the -RTL-generation pass, it is often necessary to have multiple strategies -for generating code for a particular kind of syntax tree, strategies -that are usable for different combinations of parameters. Often I have -not tried to address all possible cases, but only the common ones or -only the ones that I have encountered. As a result, a new target may -require additional strategies. You will know if this happens because -the compiler will call `abort'. Fortunately, the new strategies can be -added in a machine-independent fashion, and will affect only the target -machines that need them. +* Static Definitions:: Static member declarations are not definitions +* Temporaries:: Temporaries may vanish before you expect  -File: gcc.info, Node: Interface, Next: Passes, Prev: Portability, Up: Top +File: gcc.info, Node: Static Definitions, Next: Temporaries, Up: C++ Misunderstandings -Interfacing to GNU CC Output -**************************** +Declare *and* Define Static Members +----------------------------------- - GNU CC is normally configured to use the same function calling -convention normally in use on the target system. This is done with the -machine-description macros described (*note Target Macros::.). - - However, returning of structure and union values is done differently -on some target machines. As a result, functions compiled with PCC -returning such types cannot be called from code compiled with GNU CC, -and vice versa. This does not cause trouble often because few Unix -library routines return structures or unions. - - GNU CC code returns structures and unions that are 1, 2, 4 or 8 bytes -long in the same registers used for `int' or `double' return values. -(GNU CC typically allocates variables of such types in registers also.) -Structures and unions of other sizes are returned by storing them into -an address passed by the caller (usually in a register). The -machine-description macros `STRUCT_VALUE' and `STRUCT_INCOMING_VALUE' -tell GNU CC where to pass this address. - - By contrast, PCC on most target machines returns structures and -unions of any size by copying the data into an area of static storage, -and then returning the address of that storage as if it were a pointer -value. The caller must copy the data from that memory area to the -place where the value is wanted. This is slower than the method used -by GNU CC, and fails to be reentrant. - - On some target machines, such as RISC machines and the 80386, the -standard system convention is to pass to the subroutine the address of -where to return the value. On these machines, GNU CC has been -configured to be compatible with the standard compiler, when this method -is used. It may not be compatible for structures of 1, 2, 4 or 8 bytes. - - GNU CC uses the system's standard convention for passing arguments. -On some machines, the first few arguments are passed in registers; in -others, all are passed on the stack. It would be possible to use -registers for argument passing on any machine, and this would probably -result in a significant speedup. But the result would be complete -incompatibility with code that follows the standard convention. So this -change is practical only if you are switching to GNU CC as the sole C -compiler for the system. We may implement register argument passing on -certain machines once we have a complete GNU system so that we can -compile the libraries with GNU CC. - - On some machines (particularly the Sparc), certain types of arguments -are passed "by invisible reference". This means that the value is -stored in memory, and the address of the memory location is passed to -the subroutine. - - If you use `longjmp', beware of automatic variables. ANSI C says -that automatic variables that are not declared `volatile' have undefined -values after a `longjmp'. And this is all GNU CC promises to do, -because it is very difficult to restore register variables correctly, -and one of GNU CC's features is that it can put variables in registers -without your asking it to. - - If you want a variable to be unaltered by `longjmp', and you don't -want to write `volatile' because old C compilers don't accept it, just -take the address of the variable. If a variable's address is ever -taken, even if just to compute it and ignore it, then the variable -cannot go in a register: + When a class has static data members, it is not enough to *declare* +the static member; you must also *define* it. For example: + class Foo { - int careful; - &careful; ... - } + void method(); + static int bar; + }; + + This declaration only establishes that the class `Foo' has an `int' +named `Foo::bar', and a member function named `Foo::method'. But you +still need to define *both* `method' and `bar' elsewhere. According to +the draft ANSI standard, you must supply an initializer in one (and +only one) source file, such as: + + int Foo::bar = 0; + + Other C++ compilers may not correctly implement the standard +behavior. As a result, when you switch to `g++' from one of these +compilers, you may discover that a program that appeared to work +correctly in fact does not conform to the standard: `g++' reports as +undefined symbols any static data members that lack definitions. - Code compiled with GNU CC may call certain library routines. Most of -them handle arithmetic for which there are no instructions. This -includes multiply and divide on some machines, and floating point -operations on any machine for which floating point support is disabled -with `-msoft-float'. Some standard parts of the C library, such as -`bcopy' or `memcpy', are also called automatically. The usual function -call interface is used for calling the library routines. - - These library routines should be defined in the library `libgcc.a', -which GNU CC automatically searches whenever it links a program. On -machines that have multiply and divide instructions, if hardware -floating point is in use, normally `libgcc.a' is not needed, but it is -searched just in case. - - Each arithmetic function is defined in `libgcc1.c' to use the -corresponding C arithmetic operator. As long as the file is compiled -with another C compiler, which supports all the C arithmetic operators, -this file will work portably. However, `libgcc1.c' does not work if -compiled with GNU CC, because each arithmetic function would compile -into a call to itself! + +File: gcc.info, Node: Temporaries, Prev: Static Definitions, Up: C++ Misunderstandings + +Temporaries May Vanish Before You Expect +---------------------------------------- + + It is dangerous to use pointers or references to *portions* of a +temporary object. The compiler may very well delete the object before +you expect it to, leaving a pointer to garbage. The most common place +where this problem crops up is in classes like the libg++ `String' +class, that define a conversion function to type `char *' or `const +char *'. However, any class that returns a pointer to some internal +structure is potentially subject to this problem. + + For example, a program may use a function `strfunc' that returns +`String' objects, and another function `charfunc' that operates on +pointers to `char': + + String strfunc (); + void charfunc (const char *); + +In this situation, it may seem natural to write +`charfunc (strfunc ());' based on the knowledge that class `String' has +an explicit conversion to `char' pointers. However, what really +happens is akin to `charfunc (strfunc ().convert ());', where the +`convert' method is a function to do the same data conversion normally +performed by a cast. Since the last use of the temporary `String' +object is the call to the conversion function, the compiler may delete +that object before actually calling `charfunc'. The compiler has no +way of knowing that deleting the `String' object will invalidate the +pointer. The pointer then points to garbage, so that by the time +`charfunc' is called, it gets an invalid argument. + + Code like this may run successfully under some other compilers, +especially those that delete temporaries relatively late. However, the +GNU C++ behavior is also standard-conformant, so if your program depends +on late destruction of temporaries it is not portable. + + If you think this is surprising, you should be aware that the ANSI +C++ committee continues to debate the lifetime-of-temporaries problem. + + For now, at least, the safe way to write such code is to give the +temporary a name, which forces it to remain until the end of the scope +of the name. For example: + + String& tmp = strfunc (); + charfunc (tmp);  -File: gcc.info, Node: Passes, Next: RTL, Prev: Interface, Up: Top +File: gcc.info, Node: Protoize Caveats, Next: Non-bugs, Prev: C++ Misunderstandings, Up: Trouble -Passes and Files of the Compiler -******************************** +Caveats of using `protoize' +=========================== - The overall control structure of the compiler is in `toplev.c'. This -file is responsible for initialization, decoding arguments, opening and -closing files, and sequencing the passes. - - The parsing pass is invoked only once, to parse the entire input. -The RTL intermediate code for a function is generated as the function -is parsed, a statement at a time. Each statement is read in as a -syntax tree and then converted to RTL; then the storage for the tree -for the statement is reclaimed. Storage for types (and the expressions -for their sizes), declarations, and a representation of the binding -contours and how they nest, remain until the function is finished being -compiled; these are all needed to output the debugging information. - - Each time the parsing pass reads a complete function definition or -top-level declaration, it calls either the function -`rest_of_compilation', or the function `rest_of_decl_compilation' in -`toplev.c', which are responsible for all further processing necessary, -ending with output of the assembler language. All other compiler -passes run, in sequence, within `rest_of_compilation'. When that -function returns from compiling a function definition, the storage used -for that function definition's compilation is entirely freed, unless it -is an inline function (*note An Inline Function is As Fast As a Macro: -Inline.). - - Here is a list of all the passes of the compiler and their source -files. Also included is a description of where debugging dumps can be -requested with `-d' options. - - * Parsing. This pass reads the entire text of a function definition, - constructing partial syntax trees. This and RTL generation are no - longer truly separate passes (formerly they were), but it is - easier to think of them as separate. - - The tree representation does not entirely follow C syntax, because - it is intended to support other languages as well. - - Language-specific data type analysis is also done in this pass, - and every tree node that represents an expression has a data type - attached. Variables are represented as declaration nodes. - - Constant folding and some arithmetic simplifications are also done - during this pass. - - The language-independent source files for parsing are - `stor-layout.c', `fold-const.c', and `tree.c'. There are also - header files `tree.h' and `tree.def' which define the format of - the tree representation. - - The source files to parse C are `c-parse.in', `c-decl.c', - `c-typeck.c', `c-aux-info.c', `c-convert.c', and `c-lang.c' along - with header files `c-lex.h', and `c-tree.h'. - - The source files for parsing C++ are `cp-parse.y', `cp-class.c', - `cp-cvt.c', `cp-decl.c', `cp-decl2.c', `cp-dem.c', `cp-except.c', - `cp-expr.c', `cp-init.c', `cp-lex.c', `cp-method.c', `cp-ptree.c', - `cp-search.c', `cp-tree.c', `cp-type2.c', and `cp-typeck.c', along - with header files `cp-tree.def', `cp-tree.h', and `cp-decl.h'. - - The special source files for parsing Objective C are - `objc-parse.y', `objc-actions.c', `objc-tree.def', and - `objc-actions.h'. Certain C-specific files are used for this as - well. - - The file `c-common.c' is also used for all of the above languages. - - * RTL generation. This is the conversion of syntax tree into RTL - code. It is actually done statement-by-statement during parsing, - but for most purposes it can be thought of as a separate pass. - - This is where the bulk of target-parameter-dependent code is found, - since often it is necessary for strategies to apply only when - certain standard kinds of instructions are available. The purpose - of named instruction patterns is to provide this information to - the RTL generation pass. - - Optimization is done in this pass for `if'-conditions that are - comparisons, boolean operations or conditional expressions. Tail - recursion is detected at this time also. Decisions are made about - how best to arrange loops and how to output `switch' statements. - - The source files for RTL generation include `stmt.c', `calls.c', - `expr.c', `explow.c', `expmed.c', `function.c', `optabs.c' and - `emit-rtl.c'. Also, the file `insn-emit.c', generated from the - machine description by the program `genemit', is used in this - pass. The header file `expr.h' is used for communication within - this pass. - - The header files `insn-flags.h' and `insn-codes.h', generated from - the machine description by the programs `genflags' and `gencodes', - tell this pass which standard names are available for use and - which patterns correspond to them. - - Aside from debugging information output, none of the following - passes refers to the tree structure representation of the function - (only part of which is saved). - - The decision of whether the function can and should be expanded - inline in its subsequent callers is made at the end of rtl - generation. The function must meet certain criteria, currently - related to the size of the function and the types and number of - parameters it has. Note that this function may contain loops, - recursive calls to itself (tail-recursive functions can be - inlined!), gotos, in short, all constructs supported by GNU CC. - The file `integrate.c' contains the code to save a function's rtl - for later inlining and to inline that rtl when the function is - called. The header file `integrate.h' is also used for this - purpose. - - The option `-dr' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.rtl' to - the input file name. - - * Jump optimization. This pass simplifies jumps to the following - instruction, jumps across jumps, and jumps to jumps. It deletes - unreferenced labels and unreachable code, except that unreachable - code that contains a loop is not recognized as unreachable in this - pass. (Such loops are deleted later in the basic block analysis.) - It also converts some code originally written with jumps into - sequences of instructions that directly set values from the - results of comparisons, if the machine has such instructions. - - Jump optimization is performed two or three times. The first time - is immediately following RTL generation. The second time is after - CSE, but only if CSE says repeated jump optimization is needed. - The last time is right before the final pass. That time, - cross-jumping and deletion of no-op move instructions are done - together with the optimizations described above. - - The source file of this pass is `jump.c'. - - The option `-dj' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass is run for the first time. This dump file's name is - made by appending `.jump' to the input file name. - - * Register scan. This pass finds the first and last use of each - register, as a guide for common subexpression elimination. Its - source is in `regclass.c'. - - * Jump threading. This pass detects a condition jump that branches - to an identical or inverse test. Such jumps can be `threaded' - through the second conditional test. The source code for this - pass is in `jump.c'. This optimization is only performed if - `-fthread-jumps' is enabled. - - * Common subexpression elimination. This pass also does constant - propagation. Its source file is `cse.c'. If constant propagation - causes conditional jumps to become unconditional or to become - no-ops, jump optimization is run again when CSE is finished. - - The option `-ds' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.cse' to - the input file name. - - * Loop optimization. This pass moves constant expressions out of - loops, and optionally does strength-reduction and loop unrolling - as well. Its source files are `loop.c' and `unroll.c', plus the - header `loop.h' used for communication between them. Loop - unrolling uses some functions in `integrate.c' and the header - `integrate.h'. - - The option `-dL' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.loop' to - the input file name. - - * If `-frerun-cse-after-loop' was enabled, a second common - subexpression elimination pass is performed after the loop - optimization pass. Jump threading is also done again at this time - if it was specified. - - The option `-dt' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.cse2' to - the input file name. - - * Stupid register allocation is performed at this point in a - nonoptimizing compilation. It does a little data flow analysis as - well. When stupid register allocation is in use, the next pass - executed is the reloading pass; the others in between are skipped. - The source file is `stupid.c'. - - * Data flow analysis (`flow.c'). This pass divides the program into - basic blocks (and in the process deletes unreachable loops); then - it computes which pseudo-registers are live at each point in the - program, and makes the first instruction that uses a value point at - the instruction that computed the value. - - This pass also deletes computations whose results are never used, - and combines memory references with add or subtract instructions - to make autoincrement or autodecrement addressing. - - The option `-df' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.flow' to - the input file name. If stupid register allocation is in use, this - dump file reflects the full results of such allocation. - - * Instruction combination (`combine.c'). This pass attempts to - combine groups of two or three instructions that are related by - data flow into single instructions. It combines the RTL - expressions for the instructions by substitution, simplifies the - result using algebra, and then attempts to match the result - against the machine description. - - The option `-dc' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.combine' - to the input file name. - - * Instruction scheduling (`sched.c'). This pass looks for - instructions whose output will not be available by the time that - it is used in subsequent instructions. (Memory loads and floating - point instructions often have this behavior on RISC machines). It - re-orders instructions within a basic block to try to separate the - definition and use of items that otherwise would cause pipeline - stalls. - - Instruction scheduling is performed twice. The first time is - immediately after instruction combination and the second is - immediately after reload. - - The option `-dS' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after this - pass is run for the first time. The dump file's name is made by - appending `.sched' to the input file name. - - * Register class preferencing. The RTL code is scanned to find out - which register class is best for each pseudo register. The source - file is `regclass.c'. - - * Local register allocation (`local-alloc.c'). This pass allocates - hard registers to pseudo registers that are used only within one - basic block. Because the basic block is linear, it can use fast - and powerful techniques to do a very good job. - - The option `-dl' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.lreg' to - the input file name. - - * Global register allocation (`global.c'). This pass allocates hard - registers for the remaining pseudo registers (those whose life - spans are not contained in one basic block). - - * Reloading. This pass renumbers pseudo registers with the hardware - registers numbers they were allocated. Pseudo registers that did - not get hard registers are replaced with stack slots. Then it - finds instructions that are invalid because a value has failed to - end up in a register, or has ended up in a register of the wrong - kind. It fixes up these instructions by reloading the - problematical values temporarily into registers. Additional - instructions are generated to do the copying. - - The reload pass also optionally eliminates the frame pointer and - inserts instructions to save and restore call-clobbered registers - around calls. - - Source files are `reload.c' and `reload1.c', plus the header - `reload.h' used for communication between them. - - The option `-dg' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.greg' to - the input file name. - - * Instruction scheduling is repeated here to try to avoid pipeline - stalls due to memory loads generated for spilled pseudo registers. - - The option `-dR' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.sched2' - to the input file name. - - * Jump optimization is repeated, this time including cross-jumping - and deletion of no-op move instructions. - - The option `-dJ' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.jump2' to - the input file name. - - * Delayed branch scheduling. This optional pass attempts to find - instructions that can go into the delay slots of other - instructions, usually jumps and calls. The source file name is - `reorg.c'. - - The option `-dd' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.dbr' to - the input file name. - - * Conversion from usage of some hard registers to usage of a register - stack may be done at this point. Currently, this is supported only - for the floating-point registers of the Intel 80387 coprocessor. - The source file name is `reg-stack.c'. - - The options `-dk' causes a debugging dump of the RTL code after - this pass. This dump file's name is made by appending `.stack' to - the input file name. - - * Final. This pass outputs the assembler code for the function. It - is also responsible for identifying spurious test and compare - instructions. Machine-specific peephole optimizations are - performed at the same time. The function entry and exit sequences - are generated directly as assembler code in this pass; they never - exist as RTL. - - The source files are `final.c' plus `insn-output.c'; the latter is - generated automatically from the machine description by the tool - `genoutput'. The header file `conditions.h' is used for - communication between these files. - - * Debugging information output. This is run after final because it - must output the stack slot offsets for pseudo registers that did - not get hard registers. Source files are `dbxout.c' for DBX - symbol table format, `sdbout.c' for SDB symbol table format, and - `dwarfout.c' for DWARF symbol table format. + The conversion programs `protoize' and `unprotoize' can sometimes +change a source file in a way that won't work unless you rearrange it. - Some additional files are used by all or many passes: + * `protoize' can insert references to a type name or type tag before + the definition, or in a file where they are not defined. + + If this happens, compiler error messages should show you where the + new references are, so fixing the file by hand is straightforward. + + * There are some C constructs which `protoize' cannot figure out. + For example, it can't determine argument types for declaring a + pointer-to-function variable; this you must do by hand. `protoize' + inserts a comment containing `???' each time it finds such a + variable; so you can find all such variables by searching for this + string. ANSI C does not require declaring the argument types of + pointer-to-function types. + + * Using `unprotoize' can easily introduce bugs. If the program + relied on prototypes to bring about conversion of arguments, these + conversions will not take place in the program without prototypes. + One case in which you can be sure `unprotoize' is safe is when you + are removing prototypes that were made with `protoize'; if the + program worked before without any prototypes, it will work again + without them. + + You can find all the places where this problem might occur by + compiling the program with the `-Wconversion' option. It prints a + warning whenever an argument is converted. + + * Both conversion programs can be confused if there are macro calls + in and around the text to be converted. In other words, the + standard syntax for a declaration or definition must not result + from expanding a macro. This problem is inherent in the design of + C and cannot be fixed. If only a few functions have confusing + macro calls, you can easily convert them manually. + + * `protoize' cannot get the argument types for a function whose + definition was not actually compiled due to preprocessor + conditionals. When this happens, `protoize' changes nothing in + regard to such a function. `protoize' tries to detect such + instances and warn about them. + + You can generally work around this problem by using `protoize' step + by step, each time specifying a different set of `-D' options for + compilation, until all of the functions have been converted. + There is no automatic way to verify that you have got them all, + however. + + * Confusion may result if there is an occasion to convert a function + declaration or definition in a region of source code where there + is more than one formal parameter list present. Thus, attempts to + convert code containing multiple (conditionally compiled) versions + of a single function header (in the same vicinity) may not produce + the desired (or expected) results. + + If you plan on converting source files which contain such code, it + is recommended that you first make sure that each conditionally + compiled region of source code which contains an alternative + function header also contains at least one additional follower + token (past the final right parenthesis of the function header). + This should circumvent the problem. + + * `unprotoize' can become confused when trying to convert a function + definition or declaration which contains a declaration for a + pointer-to-function formal argument which has the same name as the + function being defined or declared. We recommand you avoid such + choices of formal parameter names. + + * You might also want to correct some of the indentation by hand and + break long lines. (The conversion programs don't write lines + longer than eighty characters in any case.) - * Every pass uses `machmode.def' and `machmode.h' which define the - machine modes. + +File: gcc.info, Node: Non-bugs, Next: Warnings and Errors, Prev: Protoize Caveats, Up: Trouble - * Several passes use `real.h', which defines the default - representation of floating point constants and how to operate on - them. +Certain Changes We Don't Want to Make +===================================== + + This section lists changes that people frequently request, but which +we do not make because we think GNU CC is better without them. - * All the passes that work with RTL use the header files `rtl.h' and - `rtl.def', and subroutines in file `rtl.c'. The tools `gen*' also - use these files to read and work with the machine description RTL. - - * Several passes refer to the header file `insn-config.h' which - contains a few parameters (C macro definitions) generated - automatically from the machine description RTL by the tool - `genconfig'. - - * Several passes use the instruction recognizer, which consists of - `recog.c' and `recog.h', plus the files `insn-recog.c' and - `insn-extract.c' that are generated automatically from the machine - description by the tools `genrecog' and `genextract'. - - * Several passes use the header files `regs.h' which defines the - information recorded about pseudo register usage, and - `basic-block.h' which defines the information recorded about basic - blocks. - - * `hard-reg-set.h' defines the type `HARD_REG_SET', a bit-vector - with a bit for each hard register, and some macros to manipulate - it. This type is just `int' if the machine has few enough hard - registers; otherwise it is an array of `int' and some of the - macros expand into loops. - - * Several passes use instruction attributes. A definition of the - attributes defined for a particular machine is in file - `insn-attr.h', which is generated from the machine description by - the program `genattr'. The file `insn-attrtab.c' contains - subroutines to obtain the attribute values for insns. It is - generated from the machine description by the program `genattrtab'. + * Checking the number and type of arguments to a function which has + an old-fashioned definition and no prototype. + + Such a feature would work only occasionally--only for calls that + appear in the same file as the called function, following the + definition. The only way to check all calls reliably is to add a + prototype for the function. But adding a prototype eliminates the + motivation for this feature. So the feature is not worthwhile. + + * Warning about using an expression whose type is signed as a shift + count. + + Shift count operands are probably signed more often than unsigned. + Warning about this would cause far more annoyance than good. + + * Warning about assigning a signed value to an unsigned variable. + + Such assignments must be very common; warning about them would + cause more annoyance than good. + + * Warning about unreachable code. + + It's very common to have unreachable code in machine-generated + programs. For example, this happens normally in some files of GNU + C itself. + + * Warning when a non-void function value is ignored. + + Coming as I do from a Lisp background, I balk at the idea that + there is something dangerous about discarding a value. There are + functions that return values which some callers may find useful; + it makes no sense to clutter the program with a cast to `void' + whenever the value isn't useful. + + * Assuming (for optimization) that the address of an external symbol + is never zero. + + This assumption is false on certain systems when `#pragma weak' is + used. + + * Making `-fshort-enums' the default. + + This would cause storage layout to be incompatible with most other + C compilers. And it doesn't seem very important, given that you + can get the same result in other ways. The case where it matters + most is when the enumeration-valued object is inside a structure, + and in that case you can specify a field width explicitly. + + * Making bitfields unsigned by default on particular machines where + "the ABI standard" says to do so. + + The ANSI C standard leaves it up to the implementation whether a + bitfield declared plain `int' is signed or not. This in effect + creates two alternative dialects of C. + + The GNU C compiler supports both dialects; you can specify the + signed dialect with `-fsigned-bitfields' and the unsigned dialect + with `-funsigned-bitfields'. However, this leaves open the + question of which dialect to use by default. + + Currently, the preferred dialect makes plain bitfields signed, + because this is simplest. Since `int' is the same as `signed int' + in every other context, it is cleanest for them to be the same in + bitfields as well. + + Some computer manufacturers have published Application Binary + Interface standards which specify that plain bitfields should be + unsigned. It is a mistake, however, to say anything about this + issue in an ABI. This is because the handling of plain bitfields + distinguishes two dialects of C. Both dialects are meaningful on + every type of machine. Whether a particular object file was + compiled using signed bitfields or unsigned is of no concern to + other object files, even if they access the same bitfields in the + same data structures. + + A given program is written in one or the other of these two + dialects. The program stands a chance to work on most any machine + if it is compiled with the proper dialect. It is unlikely to work + at all if compiled with the wrong dialect. + + Many users appreciate the GNU C compiler because it provides an + environment that is uniform across machines. These users would be + inconvenienced if the compiler treated plain bitfields differently + on certain machines. + + Occasionally users write programs intended only for a particular + machine type. On these occasions, the users would benefit if the + GNU C compiler were to support by default the same dialect as the + other compilers on that machine. But such applications are rare. + And users writing a program to run on more than one type of + machine cannot possibly benefit from this kind of compatibility. + + This is why GNU CC does and will treat plain bitfields in the same + fashion on all types of machines (by default). + + There are some arguments for making bitfields unsigned by default + on all machines. If, for example, this becomes a universal de + facto standard, it would make sense for GNU CC to go along with + it. This is something to be considered in the future. + + (Of course, users strongly concerned about portability should + indicate explicitly in each bitfield whether it is signed or not. + In this way, they write programs which have the same meaning in + both C dialects.) + + * Undefining `__STDC__' when `-ansi' is not used. + + Currently, GNU CC defines `__STDC__' as long as you don't use + `-traditional'. This provides good results in practice. + + Programmers normally use conditionals on `__STDC__' to ask whether + it is safe to use certain features of ANSI C, such as function + prototypes or ANSI token concatenation. Since plain `gcc' supports + all the features of ANSI C, the correct answer to these questions + is "yes". + + Some users try to use `__STDC__' to check for the availability of + certain library facilities. This is actually incorrect usage in + an ANSI C program, because the ANSI C standard says that a + conforming freestanding implementation should define `__STDC__' + even though it does not have the library facilities. `gcc -ansi + -pedantic' is a conforming freestanding implementation, and it is + therefore required to define `__STDC__', even though it does not + come with an ANSI C library. + + Sometimes people say that defining `__STDC__' in a compiler that + does not completely conform to the ANSI C standard somehow + violates the standard. This is illogical. The standard is a + standard for compilers that claim to support ANSI C, such as `gcc + -ansi'--not for other compilers such as plain `gcc'. Whatever the + ANSI C standard says is relevant to the design of plain `gcc' + without `-ansi' only for pragmatic reasons, not as a requirement. + + * Undefining `__STDC__' in C++. + + Programs written to compile with C++-to-C translators get the + value of `__STDC__' that goes with the C compiler that is + subsequently used. These programs must test `__STDC__' to + determine what kind of C preprocessor that compiler uses: whether + they should concatenate tokens in the ANSI C fashion or in the + traditional fashion. + + These programs work properly with GNU C++ if `__STDC__' is defined. + They would not work otherwise. + + In addition, many header files are written to provide prototypes + in ANSI C but not in traditional C. Many of these header files + can work without change in C++ provided `__STDC__' is defined. If + `__STDC__' is not defined, they will all fail, and will all need + to be changed to test explicitly for C++ as well. + + * Deleting "empty" loops. + + GNU CC does not delete "empty" loops because the most likely reason + you would put one in a program is to have a delay. Deleting them + will not make real programs run any faster, so it would be + pointless. + + It would be different if optimization of a nonempty loop could + produce an empty one. But this generally can't happen. + + * Making side effects happen in the same order as in some other + compiler. + + It is never safe to depend on the order of evaluation of side + effects. For example, a function call like this may very well + behave differently from one compiler to another: + + void func (int, int); + + int i = 2; + func (i++, i++); + + There is no guarantee (in either the C or the C++ standard language + definitions) that the increments will be evaluated in any + particular order. Either increment might happen first. `func' + might get the arguments `3, 4', or it might get `4, 3', or even + `3, 3'. + + * Not allowing structures with volatile fields in registers. + + Strictly speaking, there is no prohibition in the ANSI C standard + against allowing structures with volatile fields in registers, but + it does not seem to make any sense and is probably not what you + wanted to do. So the compiler will give an error message in this + case.  -File: gcc.info, Node: RTL, Next: Machine Desc, Prev: Passes, Up: Top +File: gcc.info, Node: Warnings and Errors, Prev: Non-bugs, Up: Trouble -RTL Representation -****************** +Warning Messages and Error Messages +=================================== - Most of the work of the compiler is done on an intermediate -representation called register transfer language. In this language, -the instructions to be output are described, pretty much one by one, in -an algebraic form that describes what the instruction does. - - RTL is inspired by Lisp lists. It has both an internal form, made -up of structures that point at other structures, and a textual form -that is used in the machine description and in printed debugging dumps. -The textual form uses nested parentheses to indicate the pointers in -the internal form. + The GNU compiler can produce two kinds of diagnostics: errors and +warnings. Each kind has a different purpose: -* Menu: + *Errors* report problems that make it impossible to compile your + program. GNU CC reports errors with the source file name and line + number where the problem is apparent. + + *Warnings* report other unusual conditions in your code that *may* + indicate a problem, although compilation can (and does) proceed. + Warning messages also report the source file name and line number, + but include the text `warning:' to distinguish them from error + messages. + + Warnings may indicate danger points where you should check to make +sure that your program really does what you intend; or the use of +obsolete features; or the use of nonstandard features of GNU C or C++. +Many warnings are issued only if you ask for them, with one of the `-W' +options (for instance, `-Wall' requests a variety of useful warnings). + + GNU CC always tries to compile your program if possible; it never +gratuituously rejects a program whose meaning is clear merely because +(for instance) it fails to conform to a standard. In some cases, +however, the C and C++ standards specify that certain extensions are +forbidden, and a diagnostic *must* be issued by a conforming compiler. +The `-pedantic' option tells GNU CC to issue warnings in such cases; +`-pedantic-errors' says to make them errors instead. This does not +mean that *all* non-ANSI constructs get warnings or errors. -* RTL Objects:: Expressions vs vectors vs strings vs integers. -* Accessors:: Macros to access expression operands or vector elts. -* Flags:: Other flags in an RTL expression. -* Machine Modes:: Describing the size and format of a datum. -* Constants:: Expressions with constant values. -* Regs and Memory:: Expressions representing register contents or memory. -* Arithmetic:: Expressions representing arithmetic on other expressions. -* Comparisons:: Expressions representing comparison of expressions. -* Bit Fields:: Expressions representing bitfields in memory or reg. -* Conversions:: Extending, truncating, floating or fixing. -* RTL Declarations:: Declaring volatility, constancy, etc. -* Side Effects:: Expressions for storing in registers, etc. -* Incdec:: Embedded side-effects for autoincrement addressing. -* Assembler:: Representing `asm' with operands. -* Insns:: Expression types for entire insns. -* Calls:: RTL representation of function call insns. -* Sharing:: Some expressions are unique; others *must* be copied. -* Reading RTL:: Reading textual RTL from a file. + *Note Options to Request or Suppress Warnings: Warning Options, for +more detail on these and related command-line options.  -File: gcc.info, Node: RTL Objects, Next: Accessors, Prev: RTL, Up: RTL +File: gcc.info, Node: Bugs, Next: Service, Prev: Trouble, Up: Top + +Reporting Bugs +************** + + Your bug reports play an essential role in making GNU CC reliable. -RTL Object Types -================ + When you encounter a problem, the first thing to do is to see if it +is already known. *Note Trouble::. If it isn't known, then you should +report the problem. + + Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, +or it may not. (If it does not, look in the service directory; see +*Note Service::.) In any case, the principal function of a bug report +is to help the entire community by making the next version of GNU CC +work better. Bug reports are your contribution to the maintenance of +GNU CC. + + Since the maintainers are very overloaded, we cannot respond to every +bug report. However, if the bug has not been fixed, we are likely to +send you a patch and ask you to tell us whether it works. - RTL uses five kinds of objects: expressions, integers, wide integers, -strings and vectors. Expressions are the most important ones. An RTL -expression ("RTX", for short) is a C structure, but it is usually -referred to with a pointer; a type that is given the typedef name `rtx'. - - An integer is simply an `int'; their written form uses decimal -digits. A wide integer is an integral object whose type is -`HOST_WIDE_INT' (*note Config::.); their written form uses decimal -digits. - - A string is a sequence of characters. In core it is represented as a -`char *' in usual C fashion, and it is written in C syntax as well. -However, strings in RTL may never be null. If you write an empty -string in a machine description, it is represented in core as a null -pointer rather than as a pointer to a null character. In certain -contexts, these null pointers instead of strings are valid. Within RTL -code, strings are most commonly found inside `symbol_ref' expressions, -but they appear in other contexts in the RTL expressions that make up -machine descriptions. - - A vector contains an arbitrary number of pointers to expressions. -The number of elements in the vector is explicitly present in the -vector. The written form of a vector consists of square brackets -(`[...]') surrounding the elements, in sequence and with whitespace -separating them. Vectors of length zero are not created; null pointers -are used instead. - - Expressions are classified by "expression codes" (also called RTX -codes). The expression code is a name defined in `rtl.def', which is -also (in upper case) a C enumeration constant. The possible expression -codes and their meanings are machine-independent. The code of an RTX -can be extracted with the macro `GET_CODE (X)' and altered with -`PUT_CODE (X, NEWCODE)'. - - The expression code determines how many operands the expression -contains, and what kinds of objects they are. In RTL, unlike Lisp, you -cannot tell by looking at an operand what kind of object it is. -Instead, you must know from its context--from the expression code of -the containing expression. For example, in an expression of code -`subreg', the first operand is to be regarded as an expression and the -second operand as an integer. In an expression of code `plus', there -are two operands, both of which are to be regarded as expressions. In -a `symbol_ref' expression, there is one operand, which is to be -regarded as a string. - - Expressions are written as parentheses containing the name of the -expression type, its flags and machine mode if any, and then the -operands of the expression (separated by spaces). - - Expression code names in the `md' file are written in lower case, -but when they appear in C code they are written in upper case. In this -manual, they are shown as follows: `const_int'. + In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the +information that makes for fixing the bug. - In a few contexts a null pointer is valid where an expression is -normally wanted. The written form of this is `(nil)'. +* Menu: + +* Criteria: Bug Criteria. Have you really found a bug? +* Where: Bug Lists. Where to send your bug report. +* Reporting: Bug Reporting. How to report a bug effectively. +* Patches: Sending Patches. How to send a patch for GNU CC. +* Known: Trouble. Known problems. +* Help: Service. Where to ask for help.  -File: gcc.info, Node: Accessors, Next: Flags, Prev: RTL Objects, Up: RTL +File: gcc.info, Node: Bug Criteria, Next: Bug Lists, Up: Bugs -Access to Operands -================== +Have You Found a Bug? +===================== - For each expression type `rtl.def' specifies the number of contained -objects and their kinds, with four possibilities: `e' for expression -(actually a pointer to an expression), `i' for integer, `w' for wide -integer, `s' for string, and `E' for vector of expressions. The -sequence of letters for an expression code is called its "format". -Thus, the format of `subreg' is `ei'. - - A few other format characters are used occasionally: - -`u' - `u' is equivalent to `e' except that it is printed differently in - debugging dumps. It is used for pointers to insns. - -`n' - `n' is equivalent to `i' except that it is printed differently in - debugging dumps. It is used for the line number or code number of - a `note' insn. - -`S' - `S' indicates a string which is optional. In the RTL objects in - core, `S' is equivalent to `s', but when the object is read, from - an `md' file, the string value of this operand may be omitted. An - omitted string is taken to be the null string. - -`V' - `V' indicates a vector which is optional. In the RTL objects in - core, `V' is equivalent to `E', but when the object is read from - an `md' file, the vector value of this operand may be omitted. An - omitted vector is effectively the same as a vector of no elements. - -`0' - `0' means a slot whose contents do not fit any normal category. - `0' slots are not printed at all in dumps, and are often used in - special ways by small parts of the compiler. - - There are macros to get the number of operands, the format, and the -class of an expression code: - -`GET_RTX_LENGTH (CODE)' - Number of operands of an RTX of code CODE. - -`GET_RTX_FORMAT (CODE)' - The format of an RTX of code CODE, as a C string. - -`GET_RTX_CLASS (CODE)' - A single character representing the type of RTX operation that code - CODE performs. - - The following classes are defined: - - `o' - An RTX code that represents an actual object, such as `reg' or - `mem'. `subreg' is not in this class. - - `<' - An RTX code for a comparison. The codes in this class are - `NE', `EQ', `LE', `LT', `GE', `GT', `LEU', `LTU', `GEU', - `GTU'. - - `1' - An RTX code for a unary arithmetic operation, such as `neg'. - - `c' - An RTX code for a commutative binary operation, other than - `NE' and `EQ' (which have class `<'). - - `2' - An RTX code for a noncommutative binary operation, such as - `MINUS'. - - `b' - An RTX code for a bitfield operation, either `ZERO_EXTRACT' or - `SIGN_EXTRACT'. - - `3' - An RTX code for other three input operations, such as - `IF_THEN_ELSE'. - - `i' - An RTX code for a machine insn (`INSN', `JUMP_INSN', and - `CALL_INSN'). - - `m' - An RTX code for something that matches in insns, such as - `MATCH_DUP'. - - `x' - All other RTX codes. - - Operands of expressions are accessed using the macros `XEXP', -`XINT', `XWINT' and `XSTR'. Each of these macros takes two arguments: -an expression-pointer (RTX) and an operand number (counting from zero). -Thus, - - XEXP (X, 2) - -accesses operand 2 of expression X, as an expression. - - XINT (X, 2) - -accesses the same operand as an integer. `XSTR', used in the same -fashion, would access it as a string. - - Any operand can be accessed as an integer, as an expression or as a -string. You must choose the correct method of access for the kind of -value actually stored in the operand. You would do this based on the -expression code of the containing expression. That is also how you -would know how many operands there are. - - For example, if X is a `subreg' expression, you know that it has two -operands which can be correctly accessed as `XEXP (X, 0)' and `XINT (X, -1)'. If you did `XINT (X, 0)', you would get the address of the -expression operand but cast as an integer; that might occasionally be -useful, but it would be cleaner to write `(int) XEXP (X, 0)'. `XEXP -(X, 1)' would also compile without error, and would return the second, -integer operand cast as an expression pointer, which would probably -result in a crash when accessed. Nothing stops you from writing `XEXP -(X, 28)' either, but this will access memory past the end of the -expression with unpredictable results. - - Access to operands which are vectors is more complicated. You can -use the macro `XVEC' to get the vector-pointer itself, or the macros -`XVECEXP' and `XVECLEN' to access the elements and length of a vector. - -`XVEC (EXP, IDX)' - Access the vector-pointer which is operand number IDX in EXP. - -`XVECLEN (EXP, IDX)' - Access the length (number of elements) in the vector which is in - operand number IDX in EXP. This value is an `int'. - -`XVECEXP (EXP, IDX, ELTNUM)' - Access element number ELTNUM in the vector which is in operand - number IDX in EXP. This value is an RTX. - - It is up to you to make sure that ELTNUM is not negative and is - less than `XVECLEN (EXP, IDX)'. - - All the macros defined in this section expand into lvalues and -therefore can be used to assign the operands, lengths and vector -elements as well as to access them. + If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some +guidelines: + + * If the compiler gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that + is a compiler bug. Reliable compilers never crash. + + * If the compiler produces invalid assembly code, for any input + whatever (except an `asm' statement), that is a compiler bug, + unless the compiler reports errors (not just warnings) which would + ordinarily prevent the assembler from being run. + + * If the compiler produces valid assembly code that does not + correctly execute the input source code, that is a compiler bug. + + However, you must double-check to make sure, because you may have + run into an incompatibility between GNU C and traditional C (*note + Incompatibilities::.). These incompatibilities might be considered + bugs, but they are inescapable consequences of valuable features. + + Or you may have a program whose behavior is undefined, which + happened by chance to give the desired results with another C or + C++ compiler. + + For example, in many nonoptimizing compilers, you can write `x;' + at the end of a function instead of `return x;', with the same + results. But the value of the function is undefined if `return' + is omitted; it is not a bug when GNU CC produces different results. + + Problems often result from expressions with two increment + operators, as in `f (*p++, *p++)'. Your previous compiler might + have interpreted that expression the way you intended; GNU CC might + interpret it another way. Neither compiler is wrong. The bug is + in your code. + + After you have localized the error to a single source line, it + should be easy to check for these things. If your program is + correct and well defined, you have found a compiler bug. + + * If the compiler produces an error message for valid input, that is + a compiler bug. + + * If the compiler does not produce an error message for invalid + input, that is a compiler bug. However, you should note that your + idea of "invalid input" might be my idea of "an extension" or + "support for traditional practice". + + * If you are an experienced user of C or C++ compilers, your + suggestions for improvement of GNU CC or GNU C++ are welcome in + any case.  -File: gcc.info, Node: Flags, Next: Machine Modes, Prev: Accessors, Up: RTL +File: gcc.info, Node: Bug Lists, Next: Bug Reporting, Prev: Bug Criteria, Up: Bugs + +Where to Report Bugs +==================== -Flags in an RTL Expression -========================== + Send bug reports for GNU C to `bug-gcc@prep.ai.mit.edu'. - RTL expressions contain several flags (one-bit bitfields) that are -used in certain types of expression. Most often they are accessed with -the following macros: - -`MEM_VOLATILE_P (X)' - In `mem' expressions, nonzero for volatile memory references. - Stored in the `volatil' field and printed as `/v'. - -`MEM_IN_STRUCT_P (X)' - In `mem' expressions, nonzero for reference to an entire - structure, union or array, or to a component of one. Zero for - references to a scalar variable or through a pointer to a scalar. - Stored in the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`REG_LOOP_TEST_P' - In `reg' expressions, nonzero if this register's entire life is - contained in the exit test code for some loop. Stored in the - `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`REG_USERVAR_P (X)' - In a `reg', nonzero if it corresponds to a variable present in the - user's source code. Zero for temporaries generated internally by - the compiler. Stored in the `volatil' field and printed as `/v'. - -`REG_FUNCTION_VALUE_P (X)' - Nonzero in a `reg' if it is the place in which this function's - value is going to be returned. (This happens only in a hard - register.) Stored in the `integrated' field and printed as `/i'. - - The same hard register may be used also for collecting the values - of functions called by this one, but `REG_FUNCTION_VALUE_P' is zero - in this kind of use. - -`SUBREG_PROMOTED_VAR_P' - Nonzero in a `subreg' if it was made when accessing an object that - was promoted to a wider mode in accord with the `PROMOTED_MODE' - machine description macro (*note Storage Layout::.). In this - case, the mode of the `subreg' is the declared mode of the object - and the mode of `SUBREG_REG' is the mode of the register that - holds the object. Promoted variables are always either sign- or - zero-extended to the wider mode on every assignment. Stored in - the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`SUBREG_PROMOTED_UNSIGNED_P' - Nonzero in a `subreg' that has `SUBREG_PROMOTED_VAR_P' nonzero if - the object being referenced is kept zero-extended and zero if it - is kept sign-extended. Stored in the `unchanging' field and - printed as `/u'. - -`RTX_UNCHANGING_P (X)' - Nonzero in a `reg' or `mem' if the value is not changed. (This - flag is not set for memory references via pointers to constants. - Such pointers only guarantee that the object will not be changed - explicitly by the current function. The object might be changed by - other functions or by aliasing.) Stored in the `unchanging' field - and printed as `/u'. - -`RTX_INTEGRATED_P (INSN)' - Nonzero in an insn if it resulted from an in-line function call. - Stored in the `integrated' field and printed as `/i'. This may be - deleted; nothing currently depends on it. - -`SYMBOL_REF_USED (X)' - In a `symbol_ref', indicates that X has been used. This is - normally only used to ensure that X is only declared external - once. Stored in the `used' field. - -`SYMBOL_REF_FLAG (X)' - In a `symbol_ref', this is used as a flag for machine-specific - purposes. Stored in the `volatil' field and printed as `/v'. - -`LABEL_OUTSIDE_LOOP_P' - In `label_ref' expressions, nonzero if this is a reference to a - label that is outside the innermost loop containing the reference - to the label. Stored in the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`INSN_DELETED_P (INSN)' - In an insn, nonzero if the insn has been deleted. Stored in the - `volatil' field and printed as `/v'. - -`INSN_ANNULLED_BRANCH_P (INSN)' - In an `insn' in the delay slot of a branch insn, indicates that an - annulling branch should be used. See the discussion under - `sequence' below. Stored in the `unchanging' field and printed as - `/u'. - -`INSN_FROM_TARGET_P (INSN)' - In an `insn' in a delay slot of a branch, indicates that the insn - is from the target of the branch. If the branch insn has - `INSN_ANNULLED_BRANCH_P' set, this insn should only be executed if - the branch is taken. For annulled branches with this bit clear, - the insn should be executed only if the branch is not taken. - Stored in the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`CONSTANT_POOL_ADDRESS_P (X)' - Nonzero in a `symbol_ref' if it refers to part of the current - function's "constants pool". These are addresses close to the - beginning of the function, and GNU CC assumes they can be addressed - directly (perhaps with the help of base registers). Stored in the - `unchanging' field and printed as `/u'. - -`CONST_CALL_P (X)' - In a `call_insn', indicates that the insn represents a call to a - const function. Stored in the `unchanging' field and printed as - `/u'. - -`LABEL_PRESERVE_P (X)' - In a `code_label', indicates that the label can never be deleted. - Labels referenced by a non-local goto will have this bit set. - Stored in the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - -`SCHED_GROUP_P (INSN)' - During instruction scheduling, in an insn, indicates that the - previous insn must be scheduled together with this insn. This is - used to ensure that certain groups of instructions will not be - split up by the instruction scheduling pass, for example, `use' - insns before a `call_insn' may not be separated from the - `call_insn'. Stored in the `in_struct' field and printed as `/s'. - - These are the fields which the above macros refer to: - -`used' - Normally, this flag is used only momentarily, at the end of RTL - generation for a function, to count the number of times an - expression appears in insns. Expressions that appear more than - once are copied, according to the rules for shared structure - (*note Sharing::.). - - In a `symbol_ref', it indicates that an external declaration for - the symbol has already been written. - - In a `reg', it is used by the leaf register renumbering code to - ensure that each register is only renumbered once. - -`volatil' - This flag is used in `mem', `symbol_ref' and `reg' expressions and - in insns. In RTL dump files, it is printed as `/v'. - - In a `mem' expression, it is 1 if the memory reference is volatile. - Volatile memory references may not be deleted, reordered or - combined. - - In a `symbol_ref' expression, it is used for machine-specific - purposes. - - In a `reg' expression, it is 1 if the value is a user-level - variable. 0 indicates an internal compiler temporary. - - In an insn, 1 means the insn has been deleted. - -`in_struct' - In `mem' expressions, it is 1 if the memory datum referred to is - all or part of a structure or array; 0 if it is (or might be) a - scalar variable. A reference through a C pointer has 0 because - the pointer might point to a scalar variable. This information - allows the compiler to determine something about possible cases of - aliasing. - - In an insn in the delay slot of a branch, 1 means that this insn - is from the target of the branch. - - During instruction scheduling, in an insn, 1 means that this insn - must be scheduled as part of a group together with the previous - insn. - - In `reg' expressions, it is 1 if the register has its entire life - contained within the test expression of some loop. - - In `subreg' expressions, 1 means that the `subreg' is accessing an - object that has had its mode promoted from a wider mode. - - In `label_ref' expressions, 1 means that the referenced label is - outside the innermost loop containing the insn in which the - `label_ref' was found. - - In `code_label' expressions, it is 1 if the label may never be - deleted. This is used for labels which are the target of - non-local gotos. - - In an RTL dump, this flag is represented as `/s'. - -`unchanging' - In `reg' and `mem' expressions, 1 means that the value of the - expression never changes. - - In `subreg' expressions, it is 1 if the `subreg' references an - unsigned object whose mode has been promoted to a wider mode. - - In an insn, 1 means that this is an annulling branch. - - In a `symbol_ref' expression, 1 means that this symbol addresses - something in the per-function constants pool. - - In a `call_insn', 1 means that this instruction is a call to a - const function. - - In an RTL dump, this flag is represented as `/u'. - -`integrated' - In some kinds of expressions, including insns, this flag means the - rtl was produced by procedure integration. - - In a `reg' expression, this flag indicates the register containing - the value to be returned by the current function. On machines - that pass parameters in registers, the same register number may be - used for parameters as well, but this flag is not set on such uses. + Send bug reports for GNU C++ to `bug-g++@prep.ai.mit.edu'. If your +bug involves the C++ class library libg++, send mail to +`bug-lib-g++@prep.ai.mit.edu'. If you're not sure, you can send the +bug report to both lists. + + *Do not send bug reports to `help-gcc@prep.ai.mit.edu' or to the +newsgroup `gnu.gcc.help'.* Most users of GNU CC do not want to receive +bug reports. Those that do, have asked to be on `bug-gcc' and/or +`bug-g++'. + + The mailing lists `bug-gcc' and `bug-g++' both have newsgroups which +serve as repeaters: `gnu.gcc.bug' and `gnu.g++.bug'. Each mailing list +and its newsgroup carry exactly the same messages. + + Often people think of posting bug reports to the newsgroup instead of +mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one problem which can be +crucial: a newsgroup posting does not contain a mail path back to the +sender. Thus, if maintainers need more information, they may be unable +to reach you. For this reason, you should always send bug reports by +mail to the proper mailing list. + + As a last resort, send bug reports on paper to: + + GNU Compiler Bugs + Free Software Foundation + 675 Mass Ave + Cambridge, MA 02139