Fast execution of branch instruction with multiple conditional expressions using programmable branch offset table

A computer-readable memory device in a data processing system, the computer-readable memory device comprising:

• one or more instructions to define a branch table mapping a branch code to a branch function entry, where the branch code corresponds to a conditional branch function stored in the branch function entry, and the branch function entry corresponds to a collection of outcome elements, where the collection of outcome elements represents possible offsets to be added to a base address to determine an address of a next instruction pointed to by a program counter associated with the data processing system;
• one or more instructions to execute a computer program including a plurality of microcode instructions;
• one or more instructions to select a branch function entry from the branch table based on a the branch instruction;
• one or more instructions to select an outcome element from the collection of outcome elements of the selected branch function entry based on at least one condition code generated by the data processing system;
• one or more instructions to determine a proper offset to be added to a base address to determine the address of the next instruction pointed to by the program counter based on the selected outcome element;
• one or more instructions to jump to the determined address of the next instruction;
• and
• one or more instructions to execute the next instruction pointed to by the program counter.

A system for executing a program including at least one branch instruction, comprising:

• a processor to execute a program including at least one branch instruction;
• and
• a memory that stores one or more instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
• generate a branch table data structure that maps at least one branch code, contained in the at least one branch instruction, to at least one branch function having at least two conditional expressions, where possible outcomes, based on the two or more conditional expressions, of the branch function are stored in the branch table data structure, and where the branch table data structure stores a range of offsets to be added to a base address to determine an address of a next instruction;
• and
• execute the program using the branch table data structure to execute the at least one branch instruction.