From e1bba17ff54400a34ede0eaacad863420d021119 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Cliff Click Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:44:41 -0700 Subject: Split ch10 Basic memory introduction in 10a, then precise aliases in 10b. --- chapter10a/README.md | 273 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 273 insertions(+) create mode 100644 chapter10a/README.md (limited to 'chapter10a/README.md') diff --git a/chapter10a/README.md b/chapter10a/README.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..30db40d3 --- /dev/null +++ b/chapter10a/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,273 @@ +# Chapter 10a: Structs and Memory + +[Previous: Chapter 9](../chapter09/README.md) | +[Next: Chapter 10b](../chapter10b/README.md) + +This chapter adds user-defined structs, pointers, allocation, field loads and +stores, and null checking. It also introduces an evaluator that executes the +graph, including its memory effects. The [grammar](docs/10-grammar.md) is the +same in 10a and 10b; the next chapter improves the memory representation. + +## One memory value + +Arithmetic nodes depend on the values they use. A load also depends on when it +observes memory. In this chapter every store consumes the preceding memory +state and produces the next one. A load consumes memory without changing it. +This makes the source program's effect ordering explicit in the graph. + +```java +struct Point { int x; int y; } +Point p = new Point; +p.x = 3; +p.y = arg; +return p.x; +``` + +`NewNode` produces the pointer. The parser emits stores of zero for both fields, +then stores 3 into `x` and `arg` into `y`. The final load observes the memory +after the `y` store. We deliberately keep that dependency here, even though +different fields are independent. Chapter 10b will remove it. + +![One chain orders stores and loads](docs/example1.svg) + +These diagrams are schematic dependency graphs: arrows run from definitions to +uses. Pointer and value inputs are omitted where they do not explain ordering. + +| Node | Inputs | Result | +|---|---|---| +| `New` | Control and a struct type | A fresh, non-null object pointer | +| `Store` | Memory, pointer, field name, value | The updated whole-memory state | +| `Load` | Memory, pointer, field name | The value of the field | +| `Start` | External entry | Control, initial memory, and `arg` | +| `Return` | Control, result, memory | Completion with all preceding effects retained | + +The memory edge is a dependency token, not a copy of the heap. In the evaluator, +objects contain mutable field arrays; executing a Store changes an array entry. +The graph determines the legal execution order. + +## Memory is an SSA variable + +The parser keeps one hidden binding named `$mem`. Source identifiers cannot +contain `$`, so user code cannot name it. Reading and updating memory uses the +same `ScopeNode` lookup and update operations as a local variable. Start has a +fixed tuple: control at index 0, memory at index 1, and `arg` at index 2. + +For an `if`, the two branches can finish with different memory values. An +ordinary Phi selects the memory from the branch that executed: + +![Whole memory across a branch](docs/example2a.svg) + +Loops reuse Chapter 8's lazy Phi construction. Reading or updating `$mem` in a +loop creates an initially incomplete memory Phi. Closing the loop supplies its +backedge. `break`, `continue`, nested loops, and early returns use the same scope +mechanics as scalar variables. + +![Whole memory around a loop](docs/example2b.svg) + +Every Return consumes the current whole-memory value. This keeps stores alive +even when the returned scalar does not depend on them, or when the program +returns the modified object itself. + +## Local memory optimizations + +A load immediately following a store to the **same pointer and field** can use +the stored value. A store immediately following another store to the same +address can discard the earlier store when no other user needs it. Both the +pointer and field checks matter: two different fields of one object are +different addresses, as are the same fields of two different objects. + +A load can also move through a memory Phi when doing so exposes a useful +load-after-store fold. On a loop, the backedge must fold, preventing this rewrite +from repeatedly moving the load around the cycle. + +The single chain is conservative. A store to `y` can prevent forwarding an +earlier store to `x`, even when the objects are identical. This is a missed +optimization, not a correctness problem; it motivates the next chapter. + +## Enhanced Type Lattice + +The Type Lattice for Simple has a major revision in this chapter. + +![Graph1](./docs/lattice.svg) + +Within the Type Lattice, we now have the following type domains: + +* Control type - represents control flow +* Integer type - Integer values, with a Top, Bottom and constants +* Pointer type (new) - Represents a pointer to a struct type + * We use the prefix `*` to mean pointer-to. Thus `*S1` means pointer to + `S1`, `*$TOP` means pointer to `$TOP`. + * `?` suffix represents the union of a pointer to some type and `null`. + * The pointer lattice has only 2 entries: null or not-null. In both cases a struct lattice element is + included, and can be any member of the struct lattice. + * `null` is a pointer to non-existent memory object, i.e. `*$TOP?`, and is a + nullable. Notice that the null part of the type is low in the lattice, + while the struct part is the highest struct. + * `*void` is a synonym for `*$BOT` - i.e. it represents a non-null pointer to + all possible struct types, akin to `void *` in C except not null. It is + the inverse or *dual* of `null`, and the null part is high in the pointer + lattice, while the struct part is the lowest struct. + * `null` pointer evaluates to False and non-null pointers evaluate to True, as in C. + +* Struct type (new) - + Represents user defined struct types, a struct type is allowed to have + members of Integer type only in this chapter, later chapters will expand + this. + * `⊤:struct` represents local Top for struct type; all we know about the type + is that it is a struct but, we do not know if it is a specific struct, or + all possible structs. In the code, we use a struct with no fields named `$TOP`. + * `⊥:struct` represents local Bottom for struct type; we definitely know the + value can take all possible struct types. In the code, we uise a struct + with no fields named `$BOT`. +* Memory type (new) - Represents the whole-memory token + * `⊤:mem` is `TypeMem.TOP`, the high end of the memory domain. + * `⊥:mem` is `TypeMem.BOT`, our conservative type for the whole-memory state. + * Neither token describes the values stored in individual fields. +* Tuple type - when a Node results in a collection of values + +We make use of following operations on the lattice. + +* The `meet` operation takes two types and computes the greatest lower bound + type. While not true for all lattices, in the our lattice this can be + thought of as set union (ORing) of its input types (as sets). + * Example, meet of `*S1` and `*S2` results in `*void` - there is no lattice + element for exactly both `{*S1,*S2}`, so we drop down to the nearest + element containing both (and maybe more), which is `*void`. + * Meet of `*S1` and pointer `null` results in `*S1?` + * Meet of `*void` and `null` results in `*$BOT?`; bear in mind that `*void` is a synonym for `*$BOT`. + * Meet of `1` and `2` results in `Int Bot`. +* The `dual` operation is symmetric across the lattice centerline. Types directly on the centerline are their own dual. + * Find the corresponding node of the lattice after inverting the lattice. + * Thus, dual of `Top` is `Bot`. + * The dual of `*$TOP` is `*$BOT?`. + * For structs, the dual is obtained by computing the dual of each struct + member. Thus, dual of `*S1` is not `*S1?`, it is some `*S1?` with dualed + fields. + +* The `join` operation takes two types and computes the least upper bound type. + Similar to `meet` this can thought of as set intersection (ANDing) of its input types. + Because our lattice structure is symmetric and complete, we compute `join` with a well known identity: + `JOIN(x,y) === MEET(x.dual,y.dual).dual` + * Example, join of `*S1` and `*S2` results in `*$TOP`. + * Join of `1` and `2` results in `Int Top`. + * Join of `*void` and `Null` results in `*$TOP`. + +As we construct the Sea of Nodes graph, we ensure that values stay inside the +domain they are created in - that is ptr fields will never contain ints +(obviously)... nor even the generic `TOP` and `BOT`. There are a couple of +nuances worth highlighting. + +* When Phis are created, the initial type of the Phi is based on the declared + type of its first input. This is a pessimistic type assignment because we do + not yet know what other types will be met. + +* When all the inputs of the Phi are known, we start with the local Top of the + declared type, and then compute a meet of all the input types. This + computation results in a more refined type for the Phi. + +## Parser Enhancements + +In previous chapters the only available type was Integer. Now, variables can +be of Integer type or pointer to Struct types. To support this, the Parser now +tracks the declared type of a variable (used to only be Integer!). The +declared type of a variable defines the set of values that can be legitimately +assigned to the variable. The Sea of Nodes graph also tracks the actual type +of values assigned to variables, these type transitions are defined by the Type +lattice described in the previous section. + +## Null Pointer Analysis + +The Simple language syntax allows a pointer variable to be specified as +null-able - and it prevents ever throwing a Null Pointer Exception. The +compiler decides if a null check is needed, and if needed and missing +the compiler rejects the program (asking the user to insert a null check). + +When the Parser encounters conditions that test the truthiness of a pointer variable, it uses this knowledge to refine the type information in the branches that follow. + +Here are two motivating examples: + +```java +struct Bar { int a; } +Bar? bar = new Bar; +if (arg) bar = null; +if( bar ) bar.a = 1; +``` + +If `bar` is not `null` above, then we would like to allow the assignment to +`bar.a`. If the final line lacked the null check, e.g. a plain `bar.a = 1;`, +then `Java` would compile this program but throw a NPE, and Simple rejects the +program pointing out a null check is required. + + +```java +struct Bar { int a; } +Bar? bar = new Bar; +if (arg) bar = null; +int rez = 3; +if( !bar ) rez=4; +else bar.a = 1; +``` + +If `bar` is `null` then we would like `!bar` to evaluate to `true`. In the else +branch we know `bar` is not null, hence the assignment to `bar.a` should be +allowed. + +To enable this behaviour, we make following enhancements. + +* We track the null-ness of a pointer in the Type system, and hence in every + Node that ptr type flows through. + +* We "wrap" the predicate of an `If` node with an up-cast when we see that the + predicate is a ptr value. The up-cast removes the null possibility on the + true branch making it legal to use the pointer. + +* The up-cast is done using a `Cast` op with the type `*void`. This does a + lattice JOIN of the original type and `*void`. This JOIN operation preserves + everything we already know about ptr, and also adds the new knowledge that + the ptr is not-null. + +* The up-cast is represented by the `CastNode` op, and if applicable, we + replace all occurrences of the original predicate with the up-cast in the + current scope. The change is local to each branch of the `If`; occuring + separately for the true and the false branches of the `If` (and the false + branch inverts the predicate). + +* The up-cast peepholes normally; if its input's type is a super type of the + up-cast, then the `CastNode` can be removed. See `ScopeNode.upcast()` method, + and `CastNode`. + +* When computing a type for Not, we produce an Integer type when its input is a + ptr. When the input is a `null` we convert to `1` and when is a not `null` + ptr value, we convert to `0`. See `NotNode.compute()`. + + +## Executing the graph + +The evaluator includes a small late scheduler. A load must execute before a +later store that consumes the same memory definition, even though there is no +ordinary data edge from the load to that store. These load/store +anti-dependencies supplement the explicit graph edges. + +![A load must precede a clobbering store](docs/example2c.svg) + +The scheduler is sufficient to execute this chapter. Chapter 11 develops +global code motion and scheduling as a separate topic. + +## Build and test + +From this directory, with JDK 21 or newer, Make, and a shell: + +```sh +make lib +make tests +make release +make view +``` + +Make builds this snapshot directly, without Maven. `make release` produces +`build/release/simple.jar`; `make view` launches the shared interactive graph +viewer. Maven and IDEA module descriptions are also supplied. Tests include all +earlier chapters, memory ordering, returned object contents, and nested loops. + +Next, [Chapter 10b](../chapter10b/README.md) keeps this one parser binding while +splitting the graph into independent memory slices. -- cgit v1.2.3