[llvm-dev] LLVM Alias Analysis

[Doerfert, Johannes Rudolf via llvm-dev]

I think you two might talk about different things here. As Bekket noted,
include the IR you run!

If I take your test (c code), compile it to IR, and then run mem2reg,
there are _no_ pointers left that could alias. (So you might want to
make the example more meaningful).

If I do not run mem2reg, the two stack locations that are generated for
ptrA and ptrB do not alias as they are _different stack locations_. The
values stored at the stack locations do however alias.

I hope this helps.

On 12/12, Sean Perry via llvm-dev wrote:
> The variables ptra and ptrb don't actually alias.  A simple way to think of
> aliasing is to to say two l-values alias if assigning into one changes the
> other.  In your program changing the value of ptra does not change the
> value of ptrb.  What you do have is two pointers that point to the same
> l-value.  The aliasing analysis will show that variable a (which is address
> taken) is aliased to a shadow of type int.  Any indirections through ptra
> or ptrb will use that same shadow.  This is how clang and llvm get the
> aliasing correct.
> 
> This is a common mistake when learning about aliasing.  People often think
> the pointer should alias the object.  It's really the shadow (i.e. a
> pointer indirection) that aliases the object.  In fact you can never have
> two variables ever alasing each other.
> 
> Regards
> --
> Sean Perry
> Compiler Development
> IBM Canada Lab
> (905)-413-6031 (tie 313-6031), fax (905)-413-4839
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From:	"Артём Вопилов via llvm-dev" <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org>
> To:	llvm-admin at lists.llvm.org, llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org,
>             mailman at lists.llvm.org, bugs-admin at lists.llvm.org
> Date:	12/12/18 11:54 AM
> Subject:	[llvm-dev] LLVM Alias Analysis
> Sent by:	"llvm-dev" <llvm-dev-bounces at lists.llvm.org>
> 
> 
> 
> Dear LLVM Developers,
> 
> My name is Artem Vopilov, I am a student at TU Darmstadt. I am writing to
> you to ask about Alias Analysis.
> 
> I am using llvm to analyze alias between variables in programs. I am using
> Alias Analysis implemented in llvm with command "opt -analyze -aa-eval
> -print-all-alias-modref-info" and for printing sets of alias "opt -analyze
> -aa-eval -print-alias-sets".
> 
> I execute these commands on the small test program I attached to this
> email.
> If you take a look at it, it will be obvious, that variables "ptra" and
> "ptrb" alias. However, the results of Alias Analysis do not indicate, that
> these variable alias. I would like to ask you, if it is possible to change
> the source code of Alias Analysis, so that it will show that "ptra" and
> "ptrb" variables from the test program alias.
> 
> I am looking forward to hearing from you and hope, that you can help me
> solve my problem.
> 
> Respectfully yours,
> Artem Vopilov
> [attachment "Test.c" deleted by Sean Perry/Toronto/IBM]
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> 
> 



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-- 

Johannes Doerfert
Researcher

Argonne National Laboratory
Lemont, IL 60439, USA

jdoerfert at anl.gov
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