[llvm] r363320 - [LangRef] Clarify poison semantics

[Nikita Popov via llvm-commits]

Author: nikic
Date: Thu Jun 13 12:45:36 2019
New Revision: 363320

URL: http://llvm.org/viewvc/llvm-project?rev=363320&view=rev
Log:
[LangRef] Clarify poison semantics

I find the current documentation of poison somewhat confusing,
mainly because its use of "undefined behavior" doesn't seem to
align with our usual interpretation (of immediate UB). Especially
the sentence "any instruction that has a dependence on a poison
value has undefined behavior" is very confusing.

Clarify poison semantics by:

 * Replacing the introductory paragraph with the standard rationale
   for having poison values.
 * Spelling out that instructions depending on poison return poison.
 * Spelling out how we go from a poison value to immediate undefined
   behavior and give the two examples we currently use in ValueTracking.
 * Spelling out that side effects depending on poison are UB.

Differential Revision: https://reviews.llvm.org/D63044

Modified:
    llvm/trunk/docs/LangRef.rst
    llvm/trunk/lib/Analysis/ValueTracking.cpp

Modified: llvm/trunk/docs/LangRef.rst
URL: http://llvm.org/viewvc/llvm-project/llvm/trunk/docs/LangRef.rst?rev=363320&r1=363319&r2=363320&view=diff
==============================================================================
--- llvm/trunk/docs/LangRef.rst (original)
+++ llvm/trunk/docs/LangRef.rst Thu Jun 13 12:45:36 2019
@@ -2153,6 +2153,8 @@ to the following rules:
    address range of the allocated storage.
 -  A null pointer in the default address-space is associated with no
    address.
+-  An :ref:`undef value <undefvalues>` in *any* address-space is
+   associated with no address.
 -  An integer constant other than zero or a pointer value returned from
    a function not defined within LLVM may be associated with address
    ranges allocated through mechanisms other than those provided by
@@ -3205,10 +3207,9 @@ behavior.
 Poison Values
 -------------
 
-Poison values are similar to :ref:`undef values <undefvalues>`, however
-they also represent the fact that an instruction or constant expression
-that cannot evoke side effects has nevertheless detected a condition
-that results in undefined behavior.
+In order to facilitate speculative execution, many instructions do not
+invoke immediate undefined behavior when provided with illegal operands,
+and return a poison value instead.
 
 There is currently no way of representing a poison value in the IR; they
 only exist when produced by operations such as :ref:`add <i_add>` with
@@ -3245,9 +3246,22 @@ Poison value behavior is defined in term
    successor.
 -  Dependence is transitive.
 
-Poison values have the same behavior as :ref:`undef values <undefvalues>`,
-with the additional effect that any instruction that has a *dependence*
-on a poison value has undefined behavior.
+An instruction that *depends* on a poison value, produces a poison value
+itself. A poison value may be relaxed into an
+:ref:`undef value <undefvalues>`, which takes an arbitrary bit-pattern.
+
+This means that immediate undefined behavior occurs if a poison value is
+used as an instruction operand that has any values that trigger undefined
+behavior. Notably this includes (but is not limited to):
+
+-  The pointer operand of a :ref:`load <i_load>`, :ref:`store <i_store>` or
+   any other pointer dereferencing instruction (independent of address
+   space).
+-  The divisor operand of a ``udiv``, ``sdiv``, ``urem`` or ``srem``
+   instruction.
+
+Additionally, undefined behavior occurs if a side effect *depends* on poison.
+This includes side effects that are control dependent on a poisoned branch.
 
 Here are some examples:
 
@@ -3257,13 +3271,12 @@ Here are some examples:
       %poison = sub nuw i32 0, 1           ; Results in a poison value.
       %still_poison = and i32 %poison, 0   ; 0, but also poison.
       %poison_yet_again = getelementptr i32, i32* @h, i32 %still_poison
-      store i32 0, i32* %poison_yet_again  ; memory at @h[0] is poisoned
+      store i32 0, i32* %poison_yet_again  ; Undefined behavior due to
+                                           ; store to poison.
 
       store i32 %poison, i32* @g           ; Poison value stored to memory.
       %poison2 = load i32, i32* @g         ; Poison value loaded back from memory.
 
-      store volatile i32 %poison, i32* @g  ; External observation; undefined behavior.
-
       %narrowaddr = bitcast i32* @g to i16*
       %wideaddr = bitcast i32* @g to i64*
       %poison3 = load i16, i16* %narrowaddr ; Returns a poison value.

Modified: llvm/trunk/lib/Analysis/ValueTracking.cpp
URL: http://llvm.org/viewvc/llvm-project/llvm/trunk/lib/Analysis/ValueTracking.cpp?rev=363320&r1=363319&r2=363320&view=diff
==============================================================================
--- llvm/trunk/lib/Analysis/ValueTracking.cpp (original)
+++ llvm/trunk/lib/Analysis/ValueTracking.cpp Thu Jun 13 12:45:36 2019
@@ -4336,6 +4336,8 @@ bool llvm::isGuaranteedToExecuteForEvery
 }
 
 bool llvm::propagatesFullPoison(const Instruction *I) {
+  // TODO: This should include all instructions apart from phis, selects and
+  // call-like instructions.
   switch (I->getOpcode()) {
   case Instruction::Add:
   case Instruction::Sub: