md.texi

GCC

the width in bytes of the operand, as determined by its machine mode)
may be added to the address and the result is also a valid memory
address.

@cindex autoincrement/decrement addressing
For example, an address which is constant is offsettable; so is an
address that is the sum of a register and a constant (as long as a
slightly larger constant is also within the range of address-offsets
supported by the machine); but an autoincrement or autodecrement
address is not offsettable.  More complicated indirect/indexed
addresses may or may not be offsettable depending on the other
addressing modes that the machine supports.

Note that in an output operand which can be matched by another
operand, the constraint letter @samp{o} is valid only when accompanied
by both @samp{<} (if the target machine has predecrement addressing)
and @samp{>} (if the target machine has preincrement addressing).

@cindex @samp{V} in constraint
@item @samp{V}
A memory operand that is not offsettable.  In other words, anything that
would fit the @samp{m} constraint but not the @samp{o} constraint.

@cindex @samp{<} in constraint
@item @samp{<}
A memory operand with autodecrement addressing (either predecrement or
postdecrement) is allowed.

@cindex @samp{>} in constraint
@item @samp{>}
A memory operand with autoincrement addressing (either preincrement or
postincrement) is allowed.

@cindex @samp{r} in constraint
@cindex registers in constraints
@item @samp{r}
A register operand is allowed provided that it is in a general
register.

@cindex constants in constraints
@cindex @samp{i} in constraint
@item @samp{i}
An immediate integer operand (one with constant value) is allowed.
This includes symbolic constants whose values will be known only at
assembly time.

@cindex @samp{n} in constraint
@item @samp{n}
An immediate integer operand with a known numeric value is allowed.
Many systems cannot support assembly-time constants for operands less
than a word wide.  Constraints for these operands should use @samp{n}
rather than @samp{i}.

@cindex @samp{I} in constraint
@item @samp{I}, @samp{J}, @samp{K}, @dots{} @samp{P}
Other letters in the range @samp{I} through @samp{P} may be defined in
a machine-dependent fashion to permit immediate integer operands with
explicit integer values in specified ranges.  For example, on the
68000, @samp{I} is defined to stand for the range of values 1 to 8.
This is the range permitted as a shift count in the shift
instructions.

@cindex @samp{E} in constraint
@item @samp{E}
An immediate floating operand (expression code @code{const_double}) is
allowed, but only if the target floating point format is the same as
that of the host machine (on which the compiler is running).

@cindex @samp{F} in constraint
@item @samp{F}
An immediate floating operand (expression code @code{const_double}) is
allowed.

@cindex @samp{G} in constraint
@cindex @samp{H} in constraint
@item @samp{G}, @samp{H}
@samp{G} and @samp{H} may be defined in a machine-dependent fashion to
permit immediate floating operands in particular ranges of values.

@cindex @samp{s} in constraint
@item @samp{s}
An immediate integer operand whose value is not an explicit integer is
allowed.

This might appear strange; if an insn allows a constant operand with a
value not known at compile time, it certainly must allow any known
value.  So why use @samp{s} instead of @samp{i}?  Sometimes it allows
better code to be generated.

For example, on the 68000 in a fullword instruction it is possible to
use an immediate operand; but if the immediate value is between @minus{}128
and 127, better code results from loading the value into a register and
using the register.  This is because the load into the register can be
done with a @samp{moveq} instruction.  We arrange for this to happen
by defining the letter @samp{K} to mean ``any integer outside the
range @minus{}128 to 127'', and then specifying @samp{Ks} in the operand
constraints.

@cindex @samp{g} in constraint
@item @samp{g}
Any register, memory or immediate integer operand is allowed, except for
registers that are not general registers.

@cindex @samp{X} in constraint
@item @samp{X}
@ifset INTERNALS
Any operand whatsoever is allowed, even if it does not satisfy
@code{general_operand}.  This is normally used in the constraint of
a @code{match_scratch} when certain alternatives will not actually
require a scratch register.
@end ifset
@ifclear INTERNALS
Any operand whatsoever is allowed.
@end ifclear

@cindex @samp{0} in constraint
@cindex digits in constraint
@item @samp{0}, @samp{1}, @samp{2}, @dots{} @samp{9}
An operand that matches the specified operand number is allowed.  If a
digit is used together with letters within the same alternative, the
digit should come last.

@cindex matching constraint
@cindex constraint, matching
This is called a @dfn{matching constraint} and what it really means is
that the assembler has only a single operand that fills two roles
@ifset INTERNALS
considered separate in the RTL insn.  For example, an add insn has two
input operands and one output operand in the RTL, but on most CISC
@end ifset
@ifclear INTERNALS
which @code{asm} distinguishes.  For example, an add instruction uses
two input operands and an output operand, but on most CISC
@end ifclear
machines an add instruction really has only two operands, one of them an
input-output operand:

@smallexample
addl #35,r12
@end smallexample

Matching constraints are used in these circumstances.
More precisely, the two operands that match must include one input-only
operand and one output-only operand.  Moreover, the digit must be a
smaller number than the number of the operand that uses it in the
constraint.

@ifset INTERNALS
For operands to match in a particular case usually means that they
are identical-looking RTL expressions.  But in a few special cases
specific kinds of dissimilarity are allowed.  For example, @code{*x}
as an input operand will match @code{*x++} as an output operand.
For proper results in such cases, the output template should always
use the output-operand's number when printing the operand.
@end ifset

@cindex load address instruction
@cindex push address instruction
@cindex address constraints
@cindex @samp{p} in constraint
@item @samp{p}
An operand that is a valid memory address is allowed.  This is
for ``load address'' and ``push address'' instructions.

@findex address_operand
@samp{p} in the constraint must be accompanied by @code{address_operand}
as the predicate in the @code{match_operand}.  This predicate interprets
the mode specified in the @code{match_operand} as the mode of the memory
reference for which the address would be valid.

@cindex other register constraints
@cindex extensible constraints
@item @var{other-letters}
Other letters can be defined in machine-dependent fashion to stand for
particular classes of registers or other arbitrary operand types.
@samp{d}, @samp{a} and @samp{f} are defined on the 68000/68020 to stand
for data, address and floating point registers.

@ifset INTERNALS
The machine description macro @code{REG_CLASS_FROM_LETTER} has first
cut at the otherwise unused letters.  If it evaluates to @code{NO_REGS},
then @code{EXTRA_CONSTRAINT} is evaluated.

A typical use for @code{EXTRA_CONSTRANT} would be to distinguish certain
types of memory references that affect other insn operands.
@end ifset
@end table

@ifset INTERNALS
In order to have valid assembler code, each operand must satisfy
its constraint.  But a failure to do so does not prevent the pattern
from applying to an insn.  Instead, it directs the compiler to modify
the code so that the constraint will be satisfied.  Usually this is
done by copying an operand into a register.

Contrast, therefore, the two instruction patterns that follow:

@smallexample
(define_insn ""
  [(set (match_operand:SI 0 "general_operand" "=r")
        (plus:SI (match_dup 0)
                 (match_operand:SI 1 "general_operand" "r")))]
  ""
  "@dots{}")
@end smallexample

@noindent
which has two operands, one of which must appear in two places, and

@smallexample
(define_insn ""
  [(set (match_operand:SI 0 "general_operand" "=r")
        (plus:SI (match_operand:SI 1 "general_operand" "0")
                 (match_operand:SI 2 "general_operand" "r")))]
  ""
  "@dots{}")
@end smallexample

@noindent
which has three operands, two of which are required by a constraint to be
identical.  If we are considering an insn of the form

@smallexample
(insn @var{n} @var{prev} @var{next}
  (set (reg:SI 3)
       (plus:SI (reg:SI 6) (reg:SI 109)))
  @dots{})
@end smallexample

@noindent
the first pattern would not apply at all, because this insn does not
contain two identical subexpressions in the right place.  The pattern would
say, ``That does not look like an add instruction; try other patterns.''
The second pattern would say, ``Yes, that's an add instruction, but there
is something wrong with it.''  It would direct the reload pass of the
compiler to generate additional insns to make the constraint true.  The
results might look like this:

@smallexample
(insn @var{n2} @var{prev} @var{n}
  (set (reg:SI 3) (reg:SI 6))
  @dots{})

(insn @var{n} @var{n2} @var{next}
  (set (reg:SI 3)
       (plus:SI (reg:SI 3) (reg:SI 109)))
  @dots{})
@end smallexample

It is up to you to make sure that each operand, in each pattern, has
constraints that can handle any RTL expression that could be present for
that operand.  (When multiple alternatives are in use, each pattern must,
for each possible combination of operand expressions, have at least one
alternative which can handle that combination of operands.)  The
constraints don't need to @emph{allow} any possible operand---when this is
the case, they do not constrain---but they must at least point the way to
reloading any possible operand so that it will fit.

@itemize @bullet
@item
If the constraint accepts whatever operands the predicate permits,
there is no problem: reloading is never necessary for this operand.

For example, an operand whose constraints permit everything except
registers is safe provided its predicate rejects registers.

An operand whose predicate accepts only constant values is safe
provided its constraints include the letter @samp{i}.  If any possible
constant value is accepted, then nothing less than @samp{i} will do;
if the predicate is more selective, then the constraints may also be
more selective.

@item
Any operand expression can be reloaded by copying it into a register.
So if an operand's constraints allow some kind of register, it is
certain to be safe.  It need not permit all classes of registers; the
compiler knows how to copy a register into another register of the
proper class in order to make an instruction valid.

@cindex nonoffsettable memory reference
@cindex memory reference, nonoffsettable
@item
A nonoffsettable memory reference can be reloaded by copying the
address into a register.  So if the constraint uses the letter
@samp{o}, all memory references are taken care of.

@item
A constant operand can be reloaded by allocating space in memory to
hold it as preinitialized data.  Then the memory reference can be used
in place of the constant.  So if the constraint uses the letters
@samp{o} or @samp{m}, constant operands are not a problem.

@item
If the constraint permits a constant and a pseudo register used in an insn
was not allocated to a hard register and is equivalent to a constant,
the register will be replaced with the constant.  If the predicate does
not permit a constant and the insn is re-recognized for some reason, the
compiler will crash.  Thus the predicate must always recognize any
objects allowed by the constraint.
@end itemize

If the operand's predicate can recognize registers, but the constraint does
not permit them, it can make the compiler crash.  When this operand happens
to be a register, the reload pass will be stymied, because it does not know
how to copy a register temporarily into memory.

If the predicate accepts a unary operator, the constraint applies to the
operand.  For example, the MIPS processor at ISA level 3 supports an
instruction which adds two registers in @code{SImode} to produce a
@code{DImode} result, but only if the registers are correctly sign
extended.  This predicate for the input operands accepts a
@code{sign_extend} of an @code{SImode} register.  Write the constraint
to indicate the type of register that is required for the operand of the
@code{sign_extend}.
@end ifset

@node Multi-Alternative
@subsection Multiple Alternative Constraints
@cindex multiple alternative constraints

Sometimes a single instruction has multiple alternative sets of possible
operands.  For example, on the 68000, a logical-or instruction can combine
register or an immediate value into memory, or it can combine any kind of
operand into a register; but it cannot combine one memory location into
another.

These constraints are represented as multiple alternatives.  An alternative
can be described by a series of letters for each operand.  The overall
constraint for an operand is made from the letters for this operand
from the first alternative, a comma, the letters for this operand from
the second alternative, a comma, and so on until the last alternative.
@ifset INTERNALS
Here is how it is done for fullword logical-or on the 68000:

@smallexample
(define_insn "iorsi3"
  [(set (match_operand:SI 0 "general_operand" "=m,d")
        (ior:SI (match_operand:SI 1 "general_operand" "%0,0")
                (match_operand:SI 2 "general_operand" "dKs,dmKs")))]
  @dots{})
@end smallexample

The first alternative has @samp{m} (memory) for operand 0, @samp{0} for
operand 1 (meaning it must match operand 0), and @samp{dKs} for operand
2.  The second alternative has @samp{d} (data register) for operand 0,
@samp{0} for operand 1, and @samp{dmKs} for operand 2.  The @samp{=} and
@samp{%} in the constraints apply to all the alternatives; their
meaning is explained in the next section (@pxref{Class Preferences}).
@end ifset

@c FIXME Is this ? and ! stuff of use in asm()?  If not, hide unless INTERNAL
If all the operands fit any one alternative, the instruction is valid.
Otherwise, for each alternative, the compiler counts how many instructions
must be added to copy the operands so that that alternative applies.
The alternative requiring the least copying is chosen.  If two alternatives
need the same amount of copying, the one that comes first is chosen.
These choices can be altered with the @samp{?} and @samp{!} characters:

@table @code
@cindex @samp{?} in constraint
@cindex question mark
@item ?
Disparage slightly the alternative that the @samp{?} appears in,
as a choice when no alternative applies exactly.  The compiler regards
this alternative as one unit more costly for each @samp{?} that appears
in it.

@cindex @samp{!} in constraint
@cindex exclamation point
@item !
Disparage severely the alternative that the @samp{!} appears in.
This alternative can still be used if it fits without reloading,
but if reloading is needed, some other alternative will be used.
@end table

@ifset INTERNALS
When an insn pattern has multiple alternatives in its constraints, often