[llvm-dev] Regarding devirtualization in clang

[Teresa Johnson via llvm-dev]

Hi Kamlesh,

Cc'ing llvm-dev as well as some specific parties interested in
devirtualization in clang for thoughts. Some comments below.

*From: *kamlesh kumar <kamleshbhalui at gmail.com>
*Date: *Mon, May 6, 2019 at 7:48 AM
*To: * <tejohnson at google.com>

Hi Teresa,
> I am going through devirtualization in clang/llvm.
> And found a testcase which suitable for devirtualzation but clang is
> unable to do so.
> Consider below test case link of Godbolt.
> https://gcc.godbolt.org/z/j4uhZT
>
> Even though B::value() is marked as final,
> clang is unable to devirtualize it.
> can you please shed some light here?
> or am i missing something?
>

In general, devirtualization in cases like this where inlining is required
is pretty limited in clang.

Note that clang can devirtualize if you changed foo_test to define the
variable (rather than take it as a parameter). E.g.:

void foo_test()
{
    B b;
    test(&b);  <- b->value() gets devirtualized after inlining test()
(looks like it is devirtualized during inlining, presumably via some
constant propagation after inlining test(), because we then inline
B::value()).
}

It also works if inlining isn't required, e.g. if I manually inline test():

void foo_test2(B*b)
{
    b->value() + 11;  <--- b->value() gets devirtualized early by clang
that sees the final specifier
}

So I think there is a phase ordering issue between the type of devirt
supported by clang, and the inlining that happens later and exposes the
opportunity in the original test case.

I've been focusing so far on whole program devirtualization (which Peter
implemented for LTO as well as hybrid ThinLTO/LTO, but I am porting to
ThinLTO only). But devirtualization opportunities exposed by inlining is
one of the limitations that I'd like to figure out how to address. In this
case it doesn't require whole program analysis since B::value is explicitly
marked final.

Piotr - not sure if your -fstrict-vtable-pointers devirtualization can help
at all in this case - I tried it but it didn't seem to.

Teresa


>
> Thanks
> ./Kamlesh
>
>

-- 
Teresa Johnson |  Software Engineer |  tejohnson at google.com |
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