[Bug other/52278] New: [avr] inefficient register allocation for SUBREGs

[gjl at gcc dot gnu.org]

http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=52278

             Bug #: 52278
           Summary: [avr] inefficient register allocation for SUBREGs
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: gcc
           Version: 4.7.0
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Keywords: missed-optimization, ra
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: other
        AssignedTo: unassigned@gcc.gnu.org
        ReportedBy: gjl@gcc.gnu.org
            Target: avr


Suppose the following small function compiled for AVR.
Remember AVR is 8-bit machine with int = HImode and UNITS_PER_WORD = 1.

int add (int val)
{
    return val + 1;
}

The addition can be performed in one insn; val and return value are passed in
HI:24 as you can see in .ira dump:


(insn 6 3 19 2 (parallel [
            (set (reg:HI 45)
                (plus:HI (reg:HI 24 r24 [ val ])
                    (const_int 1 [0x1])))
            (clobber (scratch:QI))
        ]) add.c:3 42 {addhi3_clobber}
     (expr_list:REG_DEAD (reg:HI 24 r24 [ val ])
        (nil)))

(insn 19 6 20 2 (set (reg:QI 24 r24)
        (subreg:QI (reg:HI 45) 0)) add.c:4 18 {movqi_insn}
     (nil))

(insn 20 19 14 2 (set (reg:QI 25 r25 [+1 ])
        (subreg:QI (reg:HI 45) 1)) add.c:4 18 {movqi_insn}
     (expr_list:REG_DEAD (reg:HI 45)
        (nil)))

(insn 14 20 0 2 (use (reg/i:HI 24 r24)) add.c:4 -1
     (nil))

IRA writes:

      Pushing a0(r45,l0)(cost 0)
      Popping a0(r45,l0)  -- assign reg 18
Disposition:
    0:r45  l0    18

i.e. it assigns pseudo HI:45 to hard register HI:18 and thus causes inefficient
code because it happily moves values around without need.

.reload generates additional move insns to satisfy the constraints of addhi3
which are basically "=r, %0, rn" i.e. addition is a 2-operand insn where op0
and op1 must be in the same hard register:

(insn 23 3 6 2 (set (reg:HI 18 r18 [45])
        (reg:HI 24 r24 [ val ])) add.c:3 22 {*movhi}
     (nil))

(insn 6 23 19 2 (parallel [
            (set (reg:HI 18 r18 [45])
                (plus:HI (reg:HI 18 r18 [45])
                    (const_int 1 [0x1])))
            (clobber (scratch:QI))
        ]) add.c:3 42 {addhi3_clobber}
     (nil))

(insn 19 6 20 2 (set (reg:QI 24 r24)
        (reg:QI 18 r18 [45])) add.c:4 18 {movqi_insn}
     (nil))

(insn 20 19 14 2 (set (reg:QI 25 r25 [+1 ])
        (reg:QI 19 r19 [+1 ])) add.c:4 18 {movqi_insn}
     (nil))


However, the machine could just as well do the addition in HI:24 directly like
so:

(parallel [(set (reg:HI 24 r24)
                (plus:HI (reg:HI 24)
                         (const_int 1)))
           (clobber (scratch:QI))])  {addhi3_clobber}

The code above is just a small example to show the problem, but the issue also
occurs with more complex code and not only for return and parameter registers.

== Command line ==

avr-gcc add.c -c -mmcu=avr4 -Os -save-temps -dp -da

== configure ==

../../gcc.gnu.org/trunk/configure --target=avr
--prefix=/local/gnu/install/gcc-4.7 --disable-nls --enable-languages=c,c++
--with-dwarf2 --enable-checking=yes,rtl

Thread model: single
gcc version 4.7.0 20120206 (experimental) (GCC)