[llvm-branch-commits] [llvm] cda32ab - [DebugInfo][Docs] Document MIR language debug-info constructs

[Jeremy Morse via llvm-branch-commits]

Author: Jeremy Morse
Date: 2020-12-08T11:01:55Z
New Revision: cda32aba4f46033eea4eea6eda703459dc3c7a1e

URL: https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/commit/cda32aba4f46033eea4eea6eda703459dc3c7a1e
DIFF: https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/commit/cda32aba4f46033eea4eea6eda703459dc3c7a1e.diff

LOG: [DebugInfo][Docs] Document MIR language debug-info constructs

This patch documents the MIR syntax for a number of things relevant to
debugging information:
 * Trailing 'debug-location' metadata that becomes a DebugLoc,
 * Variable location metadata for stack slots,
 * Syntax for DBG_VALUE metainstructions,
 * Syntax for DBG_INSTR_REF, including trailing instruction numbers
   attached to MIR instructions.

Differential Revision: https://reviews.llvm.org/D89337

Added: 
    

Modified: 
    llvm/docs/MIRLangRef.rst

Removed: 
    


################################################################################
diff  --git a/llvm/docs/MIRLangRef.rst b/llvm/docs/MIRLangRef.rst
index 0380bcced5fc..ff8029c5c646 100644
--- a/llvm/docs/MIRLangRef.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/MIRLangRef.rst
@@ -790,3 +790,105 @@ For an int eq predicate ``ICMP_EQ``, the syntax is:
    instructions debug location attribute.
 .. TODO: Describe the syntax of the register live out machine operands.
 .. TODO: Describe the syntax of the machine memory operands.
+
+Debug-Info constructs
+---------------------
+
+Most of the debugging information in a MIR file is to be found in the metadata
+of the embedded module. Within a machine function, that metadata is referred to
+by various constructs to describe source locations and variable locations.
+
+Source locations
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Every MIR instruction may optionally have a trailing reference to a
+``DILocation`` metadata node, after all operands and symbols, but before
+memory operands:
+
+.. code-block:: text
+
+   $rbp = MOV64rr $rdi, debug-location !12
+
+The source location attachment is synonymous with the ``!dbg`` metadata
+attachment in LLVM-IR. The absence of a source location attachment will be
+represented by an empty ``DebugLoc`` object in the machine instruction.
+
+Fixed variable locations
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+There are several ways of specifying variable locations. The simpliest is
+describing a variable that is permanently located on the stack. In the stack
+or fixedStack attribute of the machine function, the variable, scope, and
+any qualifying location modifier are provided:
+
+.. code-block:: text
+
+    - { id: 0, name: offset.addr, offset: -24, size: 8, alignment: 8, stack-id: default,
+     4  debug-info-variable: '!1', debug-info-expression: '!DIExpression()',
+        debug-info-location: '!2' }
+
+Where:
+
+- ``debug-info-variable`` identifies a DILocalVariable metadata node,
+
+- ``debug-info-expression`` adds qualifiers to the variable location,
+
+- ``debug-info-location`` identifies a DILocation metadata node.
+
+These metadata attributes correspond to the operands of a ``llvm.dbg.declare``
+IR intrinsic, see the :ref:`source level debugging<format_common_intrinsics>`
+documentation.
+
+Varying variable locations
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Variables that are not always on the stack or change location are specified
+with the ``DBG_VALUE``  meta machine instruction. It is synonymous with the
+``llvm.dbg.value`` IR intrinsic, and is written:
+
+.. code-block:: text
+
+    DBG_VALUE $rax, $noreg, !123, !DIExpression(), debug-location !456
+
+The operands to which respectively:
+
+1. Identifies a machine location such as a register, immediate, or frame index,
+
+2. Is either $noreg, or immediate value zero if an extra level of indirection is to be added to the first operand,
+
+3. Identifies a ``DILocalVariable`` metadata node,
+
+4. Specifies an expression qualifying the variable location, either inline or as a metadata node reference,
+
+While the source location identifies the ``DILocation`` for the scope of the
+variable. The second operand (``IsIndirect``) is deprecated and to be deleted.
+All additional qualifiers for the variable location should be made through the
+expression metadata.
+
+Instruction referencing locations
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+This experimental feature aims to separate the specification of variable
+*values* from the program point where a variable takes on that value. Changes
+in variable value occur in the same manner as ``DBG_VALUE`` meta instructions
+but using ``DBG_INSTR_REF``. Variable values are identified by a pair of
+instruction number and operand number. Consider the example below:
+
+.. code-block:: text
+
+    $rbp = MOV64ri 0, debug-instr-number 1, debug-location !12
+    DBG_INSTR_REF 1, 0, !123, !DIExpression(), debug-location !456
+
+Instruction numbers are directly attached to machine instructions with an
+optional ``debug-instr-number`` attachment, before the optional
+``debug-location`` attachment. The value defined in ``$rbp`` in the code
+above would be identified by the pair ``<1, 0>``.
+
+The first two operands of the ``DBG_INSTR_REF`` above record the instruction
+and operand number ``<1, 0>``, identifying the value defined by the ``MOV64ri``.
+The additional operands to ``DBG_INSTR_REF`` are identical to ``DBG_VALUE``,
+and the ``DBG_INSTR_REF`` s position records where the variable takes on the
+designated value in the same way.
+
+More information about how these constructs are used will appear on the source
+level debugging page in due course, see also :doc:`SourceLevelDebugging` and :doc:`HowToUpdateDebugInfo`.