LLVM Code Generation. A deep dive into compiler backend development Mysłowice

The LLVM infrastructure is a popular compiler ecosystem widely used in the tech industry and academia. This technology is crucial for both experienced and aspiring compiler developers looking to make an impact in the field. Written by Quentin Colombet, a veteran LLVM contributor and architect of the GlobalISel framework, this book provides a primer on the main aspects of LLVM, with an emphasis on its backend infrastructure; that is, everything needed to transform the intermediate representation (IR) produced by frontends like Clang into assembly code and object files.You’ll learn how to write an optimizing code generator for a toy backend in LLVM. The chapters will guide you step by step through building this backend while exploring key concepts, such as the ABI, cost model, and register allocation. You’ll also find out how to express these concepts using LLVM's existing infrastructure and how established backends address these challenges. Furthermore, the book features code snippets that demonstrate the actual APIs.By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a deeper understanding of LLVM. The concepts presented are expected to remain stable across different LLVM versions, making this book a reliable quick reference guide for understanding LLVM. Spis treści: 1. Building LLVM and Understanding the Directory Structure2. Contributing to LLVM3. Compiler Basics and How They Map to LLVM APIs4. Writing Your First Optimization5. Dealing with Pass Managers6. TableGen – LLVM Swiss Army Knife for Modeling7. Understanding LLVM IR8. Survey of the Existing Passes9. Introducing Target-Specific Constructs10. Hands-On Debugging LLVM IR Passes11. Legacy Instruction Selection Framework - SelectionDAG12. Getting Started with the Machine Code Layer13. The Machine Pass Pipeline14. Getting Started with Instruction Selection15. Instruction Selection: The IR Building Phase16. Instruction Selection: The Legalization Phase17. Instruction Selection: The Selection Phase and Beyond18. Instruction Scheduling19. Register Allocation20. Lowering of the Stack Layout21. Getting Started with the Assembler