compiler design - Peephole optimization techniques

1. Peephole Optimization
Techniques
By : GARISHMA BHATIA

2. CONTENT
 What is an Peephole Optimization
 Types of Optimization Techniques
 What is an Optimization
 Replacement Rules
 Example
 Conclusion
 References

3. What is Optimization?
 Optimization is the process of transforming a piece of code to make more
efficient(either in terms of time or space) without changing its output.
 The only difference visible to the user should be that it runs faster and/or consumes less
memory.

4. Types of Optimization
 Optimization can be categorized broadly into two types :
 Machine Independent
 Machine dependent

5. Machine-independent Optimization
 The compiler takes in the intermediate code and transforms a part of the code that does not
involve any CPU registers and/or absolute memory locations.
 For example
do {
item = 10;
value = value + item ;
}
While(value<100);
This code involves repeated assignment of the identifier item, which if we put this way:

6. Item = 10;
do {
value = value + item ;
}
while(value<100);
It should not only save the CPU cycles, but can be used on any processor.

7. Machine-dependent Optimization
 Machine-dependent optimization is done after the target code has been generated and when
the code is transformed according to the target machine architecture.
 It involves CPU registers and may have absolute memory references rather than relative
references.
 Machine dependent optimizers put efforts to take maximum advantage of memory hierarchy.

8. Peephole Optimization Peephole
 Optimization is a kind of optimization performed over a very small set of instructions in a
segment of generated code.
 The set is called a "peephole" or a "window".
 It works by recognizing sets of instructions that can be replaced by shorter or faster sets of
instructions.
 Goals:
- improve performance
- reduce memory footprint
- reduce code size

9. Replacement Rules
 Common techniques applied in peephole
optimization:-
1. Constant folding
– Evaluate constant sub-expressions in advance.
2. Strength reduction
– Replace slow operations with faster equivalents.
3. Null sequences
– Delete useless operations.
4. Combine operations
– Replace several operations with one equivalent.
5. Algebraic laws
– Use algebraic laws to simplify or reorder
instructions.
6. Special case instructions
– Use instructions designed for special operand cases.
7. Address mode operations
– Use address modes to simplify code.

10. Thank you