[llvm-commits] [PATCH] Start of support for __attribute__((ms_hook_prologue))

[Michael Spencer]

On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 6:42 AM, Charles Davis <cdavis at mymail.mines.edu> wrote:
> On 10/25/10 12:16 AM, Michael Spencer wrote:
>> On Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 9:43 PM, Charles Davis <cdavis at mymail.mines.edu> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I thought that, while I wait for a response to my latest clang "patch"
>>> on cfe-dev, I'd work on something else Wine-related.
>>>
>>> Microsoft's compiler has a switch, '/hotpatch', that inserts a magic
>>> sequence in the beginning of every compiled function. This sequence lets
>>> other DLLs hook these functions (assuming they were exported from a DLL)
>>> to do interesting things when they're called. In response, GCC added an
>>> attribute, 'ms_hook_prologue', that does the same in GCC (partially at
>>> the behest of the Wine developers). And now I intend to do the same for
>>> Clang.
>>>
>>> Of course, this needs backend support. So, as with my
>>> 'force_align_arg_pointer' patches, I'm starting with the basics. This
>>> patch adds support for the attribute in LLVM IR. OK to commit?
>>>
>>> Chip
>>
>> I'm not convinced that a new attribute is needed.
> All right then, let me convince you.
>> We already have
>> dllexport linkage, so why not just add an option that makes all
>> dllexport functions hot patchable? It doesn't change the calling
>> convention at all.
> Several reasons:
> - This adds some noop instruction(s) to the beginning of the function.
> (On x86, it adds a 'mov %edi,%edi'.) This could potentially affect
> performance if the function is called over and over again. Are you sure
> you want all dllexport functions to be hotpatchable?

It actually only requires that the first instruction be two bytes.

> - Not everyone uses dllexport. Some people still use .def files. Wine is
> one notable example (though the .def files are autogenerated). They
> declare some of their functions with this attribute.

OK.

> - GCC already has this attribute. It's too late.

We don't have to implement all gcc features.

>>
>> Also, this doesn't seem to include the lexing or parsing code for the keyword.
> It was only missing the lexing code. Patch reattached.
>>
>> - Michael Spencer

Individually choosing functions to apply this to independent of
dllexport is a good enough reason for me. I have no objections.