[Bug middle-end/40887] New: GCC generates suboptimal code for indirect function calls on ARM

["lessen42 at gmail dot com" <gcc-bugzilla at gcc dot gnu dot org>]

Consider the following code:

int (*indirect_func)();

int indirect_call()
{
    return indirect_func();
}

gcc 4.4.0 generates the following with -O2 -mcpu=cortex-a8 -S:

indirect_call:
    @ args = 0, pretend = 0, frame = 0
    @ frame_needed = 0, uses_anonymous_args = 0
    movw    r3, #:lower16:indirect_func
    stmfd   sp!, {r4, lr}
    movt    r3, #:upper16:indirect_func
    mov     lr, pc
    ldr     pc, [r3, #0]
    ldmfd   sp!, {r4, pc}

The problem is that the instruction "ldr pc, [r3, #0]" is not considered a
function call by the Cortex-A8's branch predictor, as noted in DDI0344J section
5.2.1, Return stack predictions. Thus, the return from the called function is
mispredicted resulting in a penalty of 13 cycles compared to a direct call.

Rather than doing
mov lr, pc
ldr pc, [r3]
it should instead use the blx instruction as so:
ldr lr, [r3]
blx lr
which is considered a function call by the branch predictor, and has an
overhead of only one cycle compared to a direct call.

gcc -v:
Using built-in specs.
Target: arm-none-linux-gnueabi
Configured with: ../gcc-4.4.0/configure --target=arm-none-linux-gnueabi
--prefix=/usr/local/arm --enable-threads
--with-sysroot=/usr/local/arm/arm-none-linux-gnueabi/libc
Thread model: posix
gcc version 4.4.0 (GCC)


-- 
           Summary: GCC generates suboptimal code for indirect function
                    calls on ARM
           Product: gcc
           Version: 4.4.0
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: middle-end
        AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org
        ReportedBy: lessen42 at gmail dot com
  GCC host triplet: i386-apple-darwin
GCC target triplet: arm-none-linux-gnueabi


http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=40887