This is the mail archive of the
gcc@gcc.gnu.org
mailing list for the GCC project.
Re: Backend port: Minimizing register usage in favor of memory accesses
- From: xyzzy at hotpop dot com
- To: GCC list <gcc at gcc dot gnu dot org>, Richard Earnshaw <rearnsha at arm dot com>
- Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 12:18:38 +0200
- Subject: Re: Backend port: Minimizing register usage in favor of memory accesses
- References: <200403310943.i2V9hwZB013582@pc960.cambridge.arm.com>
On Wednesday 31 March 2004 11:43, Richard Earnshaw wrote:
> > The goal of an optimizing compiler is to produce the fastest code for
> > the target.
>
> Not necessarily. The goal of an optimizing compiler is to minimize some
> cost metric. Sometimes that cost metric is the same as 'target execution
> time' at other times it is something else, such as 'code size'. Many of
> the specific optimizations performed will be same regardless of the
> overall cost metric being worked on; but not always.
>
> R.
Yes, my mistake... I meant to say "the BEST code for the target", which is
horribly subjective.