US 10,310,829 B2Granted

Compiling optimized entry points for local-use-only function pointers

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsMichael Karl Gschwind, Ulrich Weigand

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments relate to using a local entry point with an indirect call function. More specifically, an indirect call function configuration comprises a first application module having a target function of the indirect function call, a second application module with a symbolic reference to the target function of the indirect function call, and a third application module to originate an indirect function call. A compiler determines and indicates, in the program code, that the function pointer value resulting from a non-call reference of a function symbol is solely used to perform indirect calls in the same module, e.g. local-use-only. A linker or loader can read the indication the compiler made in the program code. The linker or loader use the local entry point associated with the target function if the target function is defined in the same module as the reference and is local-use-only.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for resolving a function address comprising:

configuring an indirect function call configuration, the configuration including defining a first application module with a target function of an indirect function call, a second application module with a symbolic reference to the target function of the indirect function call, and a third application module to originate the indirect function call;
loading a first address of a function by using a first symbolic reference;
determining that an employed value of first symbolic reference is used exclusively to perform the indirect function call in the first application module;
and
indicating, in program code, that the symbolic reference can be resolved using a local entry point address of the function, wherein performing the indirect function call exclusively through the first symbolic reference resolved through a local entry point address of the function comprises reducing a quantity of operations executed through the program code.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/417,515Filed 27 Jan 2017 · continuation
Priority: 24 Oct 2016
Published: US 2018/0113688 A126 Apr 2018
Granted: 4 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 8/443
Encoding: optimisation
G06F 8/4441
Optimisation: reducing the execution time required by the program code
G06F 8/434
Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis: pointers; Aliasing
G06F 9/44521
Program loading or initiating: dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Family

Application15/332,666Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Oct 2016
US 2018/0113691 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Apr 2018
US 10,108,404 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0113688 A1Published application
US 10,310,829 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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