[llvm] [IR] Add `dead_on_return` attribute (PR #143271)
Antonio Frighetto via llvm-commits
llvm-commits at lists.llvm.org
Sat Jun 7 07:34:02 PDT 2025
https://github.com/antoniofrighetto created https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/143271
Introduce `dead_on_return` attribute, which is meant to be taken advantage by the frontend, and states that the memory pointed to by the argument is dead upon function return. As with `byval`, it is supposed to be used for passing aggregates by value, and the pointee is invisible once the call completes. They however differ in the ABI: with `byval` the pointer is explicitly passed as argument to the callee and already points at the copy, whereas `dead_on_return` implies the copy is located within the callee stack frame.
>From 04889585578ff3680a2dff5792e25934525d0a8c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Antonio Frighetto <me at antoniofrighetto.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2025 15:29:18 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] [IR] Add `dead_on_return` attribute
Introduce `dead_on_return` attribute, which is meant to be taken
advantage by the frontend, and states that the memory pointed to
by the argument is dead upon function return. As with `byval`, it
is supposed to be used for passing aggregates by value, and the
pointee is invisible once the call completes. They however differ
in the ABI: with `byval` the pointer is explicitly passed as
argument to the callee and already points at the copy, whereas
`dead_on_return` implies the copy is located within the callee
stack frame.
---
llvm/docs/LangRef.rst | 14 ++++++++++++++
llvm/include/llvm/Bitcode/LLVMBitCodes.h | 1 +
llvm/include/llvm/IR/Argument.h | 9 ++++++---
llvm/include/llvm/IR/Attributes.td | 3 +++
llvm/lib/Analysis/AliasAnalysis.cpp | 2 +-
llvm/lib/Bitcode/Reader/BitcodeReader.cpp | 2 ++
llvm/lib/Bitcode/Writer/BitcodeWriter.cpp | 2 ++
llvm/lib/IR/Attributes.cpp | 3 ++-
llvm/lib/IR/Function.cpp | 9 ++++++++-
llvm/lib/Transforms/Utils/CodeExtractor.cpp | 1 +
llvm/test/Bitcode/attributes.ll | 5 +++++
.../test/Transforms/DeadStoreElimination/simple.ll | 8 ++++++++
llvm/test/Verifier/dead-on-return.ll | 7 +++++++
13 files changed, 60 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 llvm/test/Verifier/dead-on-return.ll
diff --git a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
index 0958f6a4b729b..af1ae52e4e821 100644
--- a/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
+++ b/llvm/docs/LangRef.rst
@@ -1741,6 +1741,20 @@ Currently, only the following parameter attributes are defined:
This attribute cannot be applied to return values.
+``dead_on_return``
+ This attribute indicates that the memory pointed to by the argument is dead
+ upon normal function return.
+
+ It is similar to ``byval`` in the regard that it is generally used to pass
+ structs and arrays by value, and the memory is caller-invisible when the
+ function returns. However, unlike ``byval``, it is intended for ABIs where the
+ *callee* allocates the hidden copy, rather than the caller. Stores that would
+ only be visible on the normal return path may be optimized out. Likewise,
+ optimizations may assume that the pointer does not alias any memory that
+ outlives the call.
+
+ This attribute cannot be applied to return values.
+
``range(<ty> <a>, <b>)``
This attribute expresses the possible range of the parameter or return value.
If the value is not in the specified range, it is converted to poison.
diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/Bitcode/LLVMBitCodes.h b/llvm/include/llvm/Bitcode/LLVMBitCodes.h
index b362a88963f6c..dc78eb4164acf 100644
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/Bitcode/LLVMBitCodes.h
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/Bitcode/LLVMBitCodes.h
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ enum AttributeKindCodes {
ATTR_KIND_NO_DIVERGENCE_SOURCE = 100,
ATTR_KIND_SANITIZE_TYPE = 101,
ATTR_KIND_CAPTURES = 102,
+ ATTR_KIND_DEAD_ON_RETURN = 103,
};
enum ComdatSelectionKindCodes {
diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Argument.h b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Argument.h
index 60854b17094bf..8e767a237c35b 100644
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Argument.h
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Argument.h
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ class Argument final : public Value {
/// Return true if this argument has the byval attribute.
LLVM_ABI bool hasByValAttr() const;
+ /// Return true if this argument has the dead_on_return attribute.
+ bool hasDeadOnReturnAttr() const;
+
/// Return true if this argument has the byref attribute.
LLVM_ABI bool hasByRefAttr() const;
@@ -87,9 +90,9 @@ class Argument final : public Value {
/// Return true if this argument has the swifterror attribute.
LLVM_ABI bool hasSwiftErrorAttr() const;
- /// Return true if this argument has the byval, inalloca, or preallocated
- /// attribute. These attributes represent arguments being passed by value,
- /// with an associated copy between the caller and callee
+ /// Return true if this argument has the byval, inalloca, preallocated or
+ /// dead_on_return attribute. These attributes represent arguments being
+ /// passed by value, with an associated copy between the caller and callee.
LLVM_ABI bool hasPassPointeeByValueCopyAttr() const;
/// If this argument satisfies has hasPassPointeeByValueAttr, return the
diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Attributes.td b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Attributes.td
index d488c5f419b82..6a6510efa5ec4 100644
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Attributes.td
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/IR/Attributes.td
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ def NoFree : EnumAttr<"nofree", IntersectAnd, [FnAttr, ParamAttr]>;
/// Argument is dead if the call unwinds.
def DeadOnUnwind : EnumAttr<"dead_on_unwind", IntersectAnd, [ParamAttr]>;
+/// Argument is dead upon function return.
+def DeadOnReturn : EnumAttr<"dead_on_return", IntersectAnd, [ParamAttr]>;
+
/// Disable implicit floating point insts.
def NoImplicitFloat : EnumAttr<"noimplicitfloat", IntersectPreserve, [FnAttr]>;
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Analysis/AliasAnalysis.cpp b/llvm/lib/Analysis/AliasAnalysis.cpp
index 3ec009ca4adde..924d97af79a17 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Analysis/AliasAnalysis.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Analysis/AliasAnalysis.cpp
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ bool llvm::isNoAliasCall(const Value *V) {
static bool isNoAliasOrByValArgument(const Value *V) {
if (const Argument *A = dyn_cast<Argument>(V))
- return A->hasNoAliasAttr() || A->hasByValAttr();
+ return A->hasNoAliasAttr() || A->hasByValAttr() || A->hasDeadOnReturnAttr();
return false;
}
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Reader/BitcodeReader.cpp b/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Reader/BitcodeReader.cpp
index 105edb943eb7f..b6da841e948fe 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Reader/BitcodeReader.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Reader/BitcodeReader.cpp
@@ -2246,6 +2246,8 @@ static Attribute::AttrKind getAttrFromCode(uint64_t Code) {
return Attribute::NoExt;
case bitc::ATTR_KIND_CAPTURES:
return Attribute::Captures;
+ case bitc::ATTR_KIND_DEAD_ON_RETURN:
+ return Attribute::DeadOnReturn;
}
}
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Writer/BitcodeWriter.cpp b/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Writer/BitcodeWriter.cpp
index fad8ebfad9f9a..e33dc1d729389 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Writer/BitcodeWriter.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Bitcode/Writer/BitcodeWriter.cpp
@@ -940,6 +940,8 @@ static uint64_t getAttrKindEncoding(Attribute::AttrKind Kind) {
return bitc::ATTR_KIND_NO_EXT;
case Attribute::Captures:
return bitc::ATTR_KIND_CAPTURES;
+ case Attribute::DeadOnReturn:
+ return bitc::ATTR_KIND_DEAD_ON_RETURN;
case Attribute::EndAttrKinds:
llvm_unreachable("Can not encode end-attribute kinds marker.");
case Attribute::None:
diff --git a/llvm/lib/IR/Attributes.cpp b/llvm/lib/IR/Attributes.cpp
index ed485f9656996..78d00c05a90e7 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/IR/Attributes.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/IR/Attributes.cpp
@@ -2424,7 +2424,8 @@ AttributeMask AttributeFuncs::typeIncompatible(Type *Ty, AttributeSet AS,
.addAttribute(Attribute::Writable)
.addAttribute(Attribute::DeadOnUnwind)
.addAttribute(Attribute::Initializes)
- .addAttribute(Attribute::Captures);
+ .addAttribute(Attribute::Captures)
+ .addAttribute(Attribute::DeadOnReturn);
if (ASK & ASK_UNSAFE_TO_DROP)
Incompatible.addAttribute(Attribute::Nest)
.addAttribute(Attribute::SwiftError)
diff --git a/llvm/lib/IR/Function.cpp b/llvm/lib/IR/Function.cpp
index dfffbbfcf5d2a..aa09d7fa44812 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/IR/Function.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/IR/Function.cpp
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ bool Argument::hasByValAttr() const {
return hasAttribute(Attribute::ByVal);
}
+bool Argument::hasDeadOnReturnAttr() const {
+ if (!getType()->isPointerTy())
+ return false;
+ return hasAttribute(Attribute::DeadOnReturn);
+}
+
bool Argument::hasByRefAttr() const {
if (!getType()->isPointerTy())
return false;
@@ -176,7 +182,8 @@ bool Argument::hasPassPointeeByValueCopyAttr() const {
AttributeList Attrs = getParent()->getAttributes();
return Attrs.hasParamAttr(getArgNo(), Attribute::ByVal) ||
Attrs.hasParamAttr(getArgNo(), Attribute::InAlloca) ||
- Attrs.hasParamAttr(getArgNo(), Attribute::Preallocated);
+ Attrs.hasParamAttr(getArgNo(), Attribute::Preallocated) ||
+ Attrs.hasParamAttr(getArgNo(), Attribute::DeadOnReturn);
}
bool Argument::hasPointeeInMemoryValueAttr() const {
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Transforms/Utils/CodeExtractor.cpp b/llvm/lib/Transforms/Utils/CodeExtractor.cpp
index c4894c90c127f..30f3e9ebab4e2 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Transforms/Utils/CodeExtractor.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Transforms/Utils/CodeExtractor.cpp
@@ -1025,6 +1025,7 @@ Function *CodeExtractor::constructFunctionDeclaration(
case Attribute::EndAttrKinds:
case Attribute::EmptyKey:
case Attribute::TombstoneKey:
+ case Attribute::DeadOnReturn:
llvm_unreachable("Not a function attribute");
}
diff --git a/llvm/test/Bitcode/attributes.ll b/llvm/test/Bitcode/attributes.ll
index 7dd86a8c0eb16..8c1a76365e1b4 100644
--- a/llvm/test/Bitcode/attributes.ll
+++ b/llvm/test/Bitcode/attributes.ll
@@ -567,6 +567,11 @@ define void @captures(ptr captures(address) %p) {
ret void
}
+; CHECK: define void @dead_on_return(ptr dead_on_return %p)
+define void @dead_on_return(ptr dead_on_return %p) {
+ ret void
+}
+
; CHECK: attributes #0 = { noreturn }
; CHECK: attributes #1 = { nounwind }
; CHECK: attributes #2 = { memory(none) }
diff --git a/llvm/test/Transforms/DeadStoreElimination/simple.ll b/llvm/test/Transforms/DeadStoreElimination/simple.ll
index f8e594b5626a0..761090427f941 100644
--- a/llvm/test/Transforms/DeadStoreElimination/simple.ll
+++ b/llvm/test/Transforms/DeadStoreElimination/simple.ll
@@ -855,3 +855,11 @@ bb:
store ptr null, ptr null, align 8
ret void
}
+
+define void @test50(ptr dead_on_return %p) {
+; CHECK-LABEL: @test50(
+; CHECK-NEXT: ret void
+;
+ store i8 0, ptr %p
+ ret void
+}
diff --git a/llvm/test/Verifier/dead-on-return.ll b/llvm/test/Verifier/dead-on-return.ll
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..eb1d67fa319c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llvm/test/Verifier/dead-on-return.ll
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+; RUN: not llvm-as -disable-output %s 2>&1 | FileCheck %s
+
+; CHECK: Attribute 'dead_on_return' applied to incompatible type!
+; CHECK-NEXT: ptr @arg_not_pointer
+define void @arg_not_pointer(i32 dead_on_return %arg) {
+ ret void
+}
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