A symbol with ``internal`` or ``private`` linkage must have ``default``
visibility.
-.. _namedtypes:
+.. _dllstorageclass:
DLL Storage Classes
-------------------
exists for defining a dll interface, the compiler, assembler and linker know
it is externally referenced and must refrain from deleting the symbol.
+.. _tls_model:
+
+Thread Local Storage Models
+---------------------------
+
+A variable may be defined as ``thread_local``, which means that it will
+not be shared by threads (each thread will have a separated copy of the
+variable). Not all targets support thread-local variables. Optionally, a
+TLS model may be specified:
+
+``localdynamic``
+ For variables that are only used within the current shared library.
+``initialexec``
+ For variables in modules that will not be loaded dynamically.
+``localexec``
+ For variables defined in the executable and only used within it.
+
+If no explicit model is given, the "general dynamic" model is used.
+
+The models correspond to the ELF TLS models; see `ELF Handling For
+Thread-Local Storage <http://people.redhat.com/drepper/tls.pdf>`_ for
+more information on under which circumstances the different models may
+be used. The target may choose a different TLS model if the specified
+model is not supported, or if a better choice of model can be made.
+
+A model can also be specified in a alias, but then it only governs how
+the alias is accessed. It will not have any effect in the aliasee.
+
+.. _namedtypes:
+
Structure Types
---------------
Global variables in other translation units can also be declared, in which
case they don't have an initializer.
-A variable may be defined as ``thread_local``, which means that it will
-not be shared by threads (each thread will have a separated copy of the
-variable). Not all targets support thread-local variables. Optionally, a
-TLS model may be specified:
-
-``localdynamic``
- For variables that are only used within the current shared library.
-``initialexec``
- For variables in modules that will not be loaded dynamically.
-``localexec``
- For variables defined in the executable and only used within it.
-
-The models correspond to the ELF TLS models; see `ELF Handling For
-Thread-Local Storage <http://people.redhat.com/drepper/tls.pdf>`_ for
-more information on under which circumstances the different models may
-be used. The target may choose a different TLS model if the specified
-model is not supported, or if a better choice of model can be made.
-
A variable may be defined as a global ``constant``, which indicates that
the contents of the variable will **never** be modified (enabling better
optimization, allowing the global data to be placed in the read-only
Globals can also have a :ref:`DLL storage class <dllstorageclass>`.
+Variables and aliasaes can have a
+:ref:`Thread Local Storage Model <tls_model>`.
+
Syntax::
[@<GlobalVarName> =] [Linkage] [Visibility] [DLLStorageClass] [ThreadLocal]
Aliases
-------
-Aliases act as "second name" for the aliasee value (which can be either
-function, global variable, another alias or bitcast of global value).
+Aliases, unlike function or variables, don't create any new data. They
+are just a new symbol and metadata for an existing position.
+
+Aliases have a name and an aliasee that is either a global value or a
+constant expression.
+
Aliases may have an optional :ref:`linkage type <linkage>`, an optional
-:ref:`visibility style <visibility>`, and an optional :ref:`DLL storage class
-<dllstorageclass>`.
+:ref:`visibility style <visibility>`, an optional :ref:`DLL storage class
+<dllstorageclass>` and an optional :ref:`tls model <tls_model>`.
Syntax::
- @<Name> = [Visibility] [DLLStorageClass] alias [Linkage] <AliaseeTy> @<Aliasee>
+ @<Name> = [Visibility] [DLLStorageClass] [ThreadLocal] alias [Linkage] <AliaseeTy> @<Aliasee>
The linkage must be one of ``private``, ``internal``, ``linkonce``, ``weak``,
``linkonce_odr``, ``weak_odr``, ``external``. Note that some system linkers
-might not correctly handle dropping a weak symbol that is aliased by a non-weak
-alias.
+might not correctly handle dropping a weak symbol that is aliased.
Alias that are not ``unnamed_addr`` are guaranteed to have the same address as
-the aliasee.
+the aliasee expression. ``unnamed_addr`` ones are only guaranteed to point
+to the same content.
+
+Since aliases are only a second name, some restrictions apply, of which
+some can only be checked when producing an object file:
+
+* The expression defining the aliasee must be computable at assembly
+ time. Since it is just a name, no relocations can be used.
-The aliasee must be a definition.
+* No alias in the expression can be weak as the possibility of the
+ intermediate alias being overridden cannot be represented in an
+ object file.
-Aliases are not allowed to point to aliases with linkages that can be
-overridden. Since they are only a second name, the possibility of the
-intermediate alias being overridden cannot be represented in an object file.
+* No global value in the expression can be a declaration, since that
+ would require a relocation, which is not possible.
.. _namedmetadatastructure:
operands for the :ref:`bitcast instruction <i_bitcast>`. This is not a
valid attribute for return values and can only be applied to one parameter.
+``nonnull``
+ This indicates that the parameter or return pointer is not null. This
+ attribute may only be applied to pointer typed parameters. This is not
+ checked or enforced by LLVM, the caller must ensure that the pointer
+ passed in is non-null, or the callee must ensure that the returned pointer
+ is non-null.
+
.. _gc:
Garbage Collector Names
inlining this function is desirable (such as the "inline" keyword in
C/C++). It is just a hint; it imposes no requirements on the
inliner.
+``jumptable``
+ This attribute indicates that the function should be added to a
+ jump-instruction table at code-generation time, and that all address-taken
+ references to this function should be replaced with a reference to the
+ appropriate jump-instruction-table function pointer. Note that this creates
+ a new pointer for the original function, which means that code that depends
+ on function-pointer identity can break. So, any function annotated with
+ ``jumptable`` must also be ``unnamed_addr``.
``minsize``
This attribute suggests that optimization passes and code generator
passes make choices that keep the code size of this function as small
'``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access``' Metadata
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-For a loop to be parallel, in addition to using
-the ``llvm.loop`` metadata to mark the loop latch branch instruction,
-also all of the memory accessing instructions in the loop body need to be
-marked with the ``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access`` metadata. If there
-is at least one memory accessing instruction not marked with the metadata,
-the loop must be considered a sequential loop. This causes parallel loops to be
-converted to sequential loops due to optimization passes that are unaware of
-the parallel semantics and that insert new memory instructions to the loop
-body.
+The ``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access`` metadata refers to a loop identifier,
+or metadata containing a list of loop identifiers for nested loops.
+The metadata is attached to memory accessing instructions and denotes that
+no loop carried memory dependence exist between it and other instructions denoted
+with the same loop identifier.
+
+Precisely, given two instructions ``m1`` and ``m2`` that both have the
+``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access`` metadata, with ``L1`` and ``L2`` being the
+set of loops associated with that metadata, respectively, then there is no loop
+carried dependence between ``m1`` and ``m2`` for loops in both ``L1`` and
+``L2``.
+
+As a special case, if all memory accessing instructions in a loop have
+``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access`` metadata that refers to that loop, then the
+loop has no loop carried memory dependences and is considered to be a parallel
+loop.
+
+Note that if not all memory access instructions have such metadata referring to
+the loop, then the loop is considered not being trivially parallel. Additional
+memory dependence analysis is required to make that determination. As a fail
+safe mechanism, this causes loops that were originally parallel to be considered
+sequential (if optimization passes that are unaware of the parallel semantics
+insert new memory instructions into the loop body).
Example of a loop that is considered parallel due to its correct use of
both ``llvm.loop`` and ``llvm.mem.parallel_loop_access``
.. code-block:: llvm
- %0 = type { i32, void ()* }
- @llvm.global_ctors = appending global [1 x %0] [%0 { i32 65535, void ()* @ctor }]
+ %0 = type { i32, void ()*, i8* }
+ @llvm.global_ctors = appending global [1 x %0] [%0 { i32 65535, void ()* @ctor, i8* @data }]
The ``@llvm.global_ctors`` array contains a list of constructor
-functions and associated priorities. The functions referenced by this
-array will be called in ascending order of priority (i.e. lowest first)
-when the module is loaded. The order of functions with the same priority
-is not defined.
+functions, priorities, and an optional associated global or function.
+The functions referenced by this array will be called in ascending order
+of priority (i.e. lowest first) when the module is loaded. The order of
+functions with the same priority is not defined.
+
+If the third field is present, non-null, and points to a global variable
+or function, the initializer function will only run if the associated
+data from the current module is not discarded.
.. _llvmglobaldtors:
.. code-block:: llvm
- %0 = type { i32, void ()* }
- @llvm.global_dtors = appending global [1 x %0] [%0 { i32 65535, void ()* @dtor }]
+ %0 = type { i32, void ()*, i8* }
+ @llvm.global_dtors = appending global [1 x %0] [%0 { i32 65535, void ()* @dtor, i8* @data }]
+
+The ``@llvm.global_dtors`` array contains a list of destructor
+functions, priorities, and an optional associated global or function.
+The functions referenced by this array will be called in descending
+order of priority (i.e. highest first) when the module is unloaded. The
+order of functions with the same priority is not defined.
-The ``@llvm.global_dtors`` array contains a list of destructor functions
-and associated priorities. The functions referenced by this array will
-be called in descending order of priority (i.e. highest first) when the
-module is loaded. The order of functions with the same priority is not
-defined.
+If the third field is present, non-null, and points to a global variable
+or function, the destructor function will only run if the associated
+data from the current module is not discarded.
Instruction Reference
=====================
allocatable registers are not supported.
Warning: So far it only works with the stack pointer on selected
-architectures (ARM, ARM64, AArch64, PowerPC and x86_64). Significant amount of
+architectures (ARM, AArch64, PowerPC and x86_64). Significant amount of
work is needed to support other registers and even more so, allocatable
registers.