DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2018.74
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1841
Date of Award
6-2018
Degree Name
MS in Computer Science
Department/Program
Computer Science
Advisor
Aaron Keen
Abstract
We often want a compiler to generate executable code that runs as fast as possible. One consideration toward this goal is to keep values in fast registers to limit the number of slower memory accesses that occur. When there are not enough physical registers available for use, values are ``spilled'' to the runtime stack. The need for spills is discovered during register allocation wherein values in use are mapped to physical registers. One factor in the efficacy of register allocation is the number of values in use at one time (register collisions). Register collision is affected by compiler optimizations that take place before register allocation. Though the main purpose of compiler optimizations is to make the overall code better and faster, some optimizations can actually increase register collisions. This may force the register allocation process to spill. This thesis studies the effects of different compiler optimizations on register collisions.