[LLVMdev] [RFC] Storing default function attributes on the module

[Rafael Espíndola]

> 4. Having `llc` mutate the IR itself -- the obvious solution, which
>    Akira posted a patch for a few months ago -- does the job just as
>    well as `llvm-attr-mutate` but with a much cleaner interface.  It
>    fails to distinguish between target defaults and explicit
>    attributes, but when combined with `llvm-extract`, it gives you full
>    control over the codegen options for each function.
>
> Remind me again why we don't just do #4?  It seems like the simplest way
> to keep `llc` viable in the short term.
>
>
>
> llc should be able to override the default values for options without
> mutating anything that’s explicitly specified at a function (or module)
> level.
>
> For example, if I have a .ll file with specialized functions with different
> CPUs specified, I want to be able to recompile that file with -mcpu= on the
> llc command line in such a way that those functions don’t get changed, but
> any functions that don’t have an explicit CPU on them do. Consider trying to
> test something like function multi versioning.

Sure, but that can be implemented with 4, no? Something like:

* In llc, if given -mcpu:
  * Iterate over all functions:
     * If a function has a an explicit cpu, leave it alone.
     * If a function has no explicit cpu, set it to the -mcpu command line value

Cheers,
Rafael