--- libecb/ecb.pod 2011/05/26 23:23:08 1.14 +++ libecb/ecb.pod 2011/05/27 00:04:05 1.19 @@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Libecb is currently a simple header file that doesn't require any configuration to use or include in your project. -It's part of the e-suite of libraries, other memembers of which include +It's part of the e-suite of libraries, other members of which include libev and libeio. Its homepage can be found here: @@ -14,9 +14,12 @@ It mainly provides a number of wrappers around GCC built-ins, together with replacement functions for other compilers. In addition to this, -it provides a number of other lowlevel C utilities, such endienness +it provides a number of other lowlevel C utilities, such as endianness detection, byte swapping or bit rotations. +Or in other words, things that should be built-in into any standard C +system, but aren't. + More might come. =head2 ABOUT THE HEADER @@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ The header should work fine for both C and C++ compilation, and gives you all of F in addition to the ECB symbols. -There are currently no objetc files to link to - future versions might +There are currently no object files to link to - future versions might come with an (optional) object code library to link against, to reduce code size or gain access to additional features. @@ -60,8 +63,13 @@ =item ecb_attribute ((attrs...)) -A simple wrapper that expands to C<__attribute__((attrs))> on GCC, and -to nothing on other compilers, so the effect is that only GCC sees these. +A simple wrapper that expands to C<__attribute__((attrs))> on GCC, and to +nothing on other compilers, so the effect is that only GCC sees these. + +Example: use the C attribute on a function. + + ecb_attribute((__deprecated__)) void + do_not_use_me_anymore (void); =item ecb_unused @@ -69,16 +77,16 @@ warning by GCC when it detects it as unused. This is useful when you e.g. declare a variable but do not always use it: - { - int var ecb_unused; + { + int var ecb_unused; - #ifdef SOMECONDITION - var = ...; - return var; - #else - return 0; - #endif - } + #ifdef SOMECONDITION + var = ...; + return var; + #else + return 0; + #endif + } =item ecb_noinline @@ -88,16 +96,113 @@ =item ecb_noreturn +Marks a function as "not returning, ever". Some typical functions that +don't return are C or C (which really works hard to not +return), and now you can make your own: + + ecb_noreturn void + my_abort (const char *errline) + { + puts (errline); + abort (); + } + +In this case, the compiler would probably be smart enough to deduce it on +its own, so this is mainly useful for declarations. + =item ecb_const +Declares that the function only depends on the values of its arguments, +much like a mathematical function. It specifically does not read or write +any memory any arguments might point to, global variables, or call any +non-const functions. It also must not have any side effects. + +Such a function can be optimised much more aggressively by the compiler - +for example, multiple calls with the same arguments can be optimised into +a single call, which wouldn't be possible if the compiler would have to +expect any side effects. + +It is best suited for functions in the sense of mathematical functions, +such as a function returning the square root of its input argument. + +Not suited would be a function that calculates the hash of some memory +area you pass in, prints some messages or looks at a global variable to +decide on rounding. + +See C for a slightly less restrictive class of functions. + =item ecb_pure +Similar to C, declares a function that has no side +effects. Unlike C, the function is allowed to examine global +variables and any other memory areas (such as the ones passed to it via +pointers). + +While these functions cannot be optimised as aggressively as C +functions, they can still be optimised away in many occasions, and the +compiler has more freedom in moving calls to them around. + +Typical examples for such functions would be C or C. A +function that calculates the MD5 sum of some input and updates some MD5 +state passed as argument would I be pure, however, as it would modify +some memory area that is not the return value. + =item ecb_hot +This declares a function as "hot" with regards to the cache - the function +is used so often, that it is very beneficial to keep it in the cache if +possible. + +The compiler reacts by trying to place hot functions near to each other in +memory. + +Whether a function is hot or not often depends on the whole program, +and less on the function itself. C is likely more useful in +practise. + =item ecb_cold +The opposite of C - declares a function as "cold" with regards to +the cache, or in other words, this function is not called often, or not at +speed-critical times, and keeping it in the cache might be a waste of said +cache. + +In addition to placing cold functions together (or at least away from hot +functions), this knowledge can be used in other ways, for example, the +function will be optimised for size, as opposed to speed, and codepaths +leading to calls to those functions can automatically be marked as if +C had been used to reach them. + +Good examples for such functions would be error reporting functions, or +functions only called in exceptional or rare cases. + =item ecb_artificial +Declares the function as "artificial", in this case meaning that this +function is not really mean to be a function, but more like an accessor +- many methods in C++ classes are mere accessor functions, and having a +crash reported in such a method, or single-stepping through them, is not +usually so helpful, especially when it's inlined to just a few instructions. + +Marking them as artificial will instruct the debugger about just this, +leading to happier debugging and thus happier lives. + +Example: in some kind of smart-pointer class, mark the pointer accessor as +artificial, so that the whole class acts more like a pointer and less like +some C++ abstraction monster. + + template + struct my_smart_ptr + { + T *value; + + ecb_artificial + operator T *() + { + return value; + } + }; + =back =head2 OPTIMISATION HINTS @@ -141,9 +246,9 @@ Usually, you want to use the more intuitive C and C functions instead. -=item bool ecb_likely (bool) +=item bool ecb_likely (cond) -=item bool ecb_unlikely (bool) +=item bool ecb_unlikely (cond) These two functions expect a expression that is true or false and return C<1> or C<0>, respectively, so when used in the condition of an C or @@ -277,15 +382,15 @@ common use case is to compute the integer binary logarithm, i.e., floor(log2(n)). For example: - ecb_ctz32(3) = 0 - ecb_ctz32(6) = 1 + ecb_ctz32 (3) = 0 + ecb_ctz32 (6) = 1 =item int ecb_popcount32 (uint32_t x) Returns the number of bits set to 1 in C. For example: - ecb_popcount32(7) = 3 - ecb_popcount32(255) = 8 + ecb_popcount32 (7) = 3 + ecb_popcount32 (255) = 8 =item uint32_t ecb_bswap16 (uint32_t x) @@ -310,7 +415,7 @@ =item x = ecb_mod (m, n) Returns the positive remainder of the modulo operation between C and -C. Unlike the C moduloe operator C<%>, this function ensures that the +C. Unlike the C modulo operator C<%>, this function ensures that the return value is always positive). C must be strictly positive (i.e. C<< >1 >>), while C must be