Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Run-Time Environments
Reading: Section 7.1 – 7.3 of chapter 7

How storage organizations used to support the run-time

environment of a program

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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Source Language Issues

How do we allocate the space for the generated target code and the
data object of our source programs?
The places of the data objects that can be determined at compile time
will be allocated statically.
But the places for the some of data objects will be allocated at run-
time.
The allocation of de-allocation of the data objects is managed by the
run-time support package.
– run-time support package is loaded together with the generate target code.
– the structure of the run-time support package depends on the semantics of the
programming language (especially the semantics of procedures in that
language).
Each execution of a procedure is called as activation of that
procedure.

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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Procedure Activation and Lifetime

A procedure is activated when called
The lifetime of an activation of a procedure is the
sequence of steps between the first and last steps in
the execution of the procedure body
A procedure is recursive if a new activation can
begin before an earlier activation of the same
procedure has ended

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 Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Procedure Activations
Example
program sort(input, output) Activations:
var a : array [0..10] of integer;
procedure readarray; begin sort
var i : integer; enter readarray
begin
for i := 1 to 9 do read(a[i]) leave readarray
end; enter quicksort(1,9)
function partition(y, z : integer) : enter partition(1,9)
integer
var i, j, x, v : integer; leave partition(1,9)
begin … enter quicksort(1,3)
end
procedure quicksort(m, n : integer); …
var i : integer; leave quicksort(1,3)
begin
if (n > m) then begin enter quicksort(5,9)
i := partition(m, n); …
quicksort(m, i - 1); leave quicksort(5,9)
quicksort(i + 1, n)
end leave quicksort(1,9)
end; end sort.
begin
a[0] := -9999; a[10] := 9999;
readarray;
quicksort(1, 9)
end.
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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Activation Tree
We can use a tree (called activation tree) to show the way control enters and leaves
activations.
In an activation tree:
– Each node represents an activation of a procedure.
– The root represents the activation of the main program.
– The node a is a parent of the node b iff the control flows from a to b.
– The node a is left to to the node b iff the lifetime of a occurs before the lifetime
of b.
s
Activation tree for the sort program of page 4
r q(1,9)

p(1,9) q(1,3) q(5,9)

p(1,3) q(1,0) q(2,3) p(5,9) q(5,5) q(7,9)

p(2,3) q(2,1) q(3,3) p(7,9) q(7,7) q(9,9)

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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Control Stack
The flow of the control in a program corresponds to a depth-first traversal of the
activation tree.
A stack (called control stack) can be used to keep track of live procedure
activations. An activation record is pushed onto the control stack as the activation
starts and popped when that activation ends.
When node n is at the top of the control stack, the stack contains the nodes along the
path from n to the root.
Activations:
begin sort
Activation tree: Control enter readarray
s stack: leave readarray
enter quicksort(1,9)
r
s enter partition(1,9)
q(1,9)
q(1,9) leave partition(1,9)
enter quicksort(1,3)
p(1,9) q(1,3) q(1,3) enter partition(1,3)
leave partition(1,3)
q(2,3) enter quicksort(1,0)
p(1,3) q(1,0) q(2,3)
leave quicksort(1,0)
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enter quicksort(2,3)
…
Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Scope Rules
The same variable name can be used in the different parts of the program. The scope
rules of the language determine which declaration of a name applies when the name
appears in the program.
An occurrence of a variable (a name) is:
– local: If that occurrence is in the same procedure in which that name is declared.
– non-local: Otherwise (ie. it is declared outside of that procedure)
program prg;
var y : real;
function x(a : real) : real;
begin … end;
procedure p;
var x : integer;
Variable x locally declared in p begin
x := 1;
…
end;
begin
y := x(0.0);
…
A function x end.
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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Binding of Names
The same name may denote different data objects at run time.
Storage location s with name x, we say that x is bound to s; the
association is referred to as a binding of x.
At compile time At run time

environment state

name storage value

var i;
…
i := 0; A binding is the dynamic counterpart of a declaration
…
i := i + 1;
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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Run-Time Storage Organization

Memory locations for code are determined
Code
at compile time.

Static Data Locations of static data can also be

determined at compile time.
Stack
Data objects allocated at run-time.
(Activation Records)

Other dynamically allocated data objects at

run-time. (For example, malloc area in C).
Heap
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 Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Activation Records
Information needed by a single execution of a procedure is managed
using a contiguous block of storage called activation record.
An activation record is allocated when a procedure is entered, and it is
de-allocated when that procedure exited.
The returned value of the called procedure is returned in this
field to the calling procedure. This value return in machine
return value register for efficiency..
The field for actual parameters is used by the calling procedure
actual parameters to supply parameters to the called procedure.
optional control link The control link points to the activation record of the caller.
The access link is used to refer to nonlocal data held in other
optional access link activation records.
The field for saved machine status holds information about
saved machine status the state of the machine before the procedure is called.
local data The field of local data holds data that local to an execution
of a procedure..
temporaries Temporary variables is stored in the field of temporaries.
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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Creation of An Activation Record

Who allocates an activation record of a procedure?
– Some part of the activation record of a procedure is created by that
procedure immediately after that procedure is entered.
– Some part is created by the caller of that procedure before that procedure
is entered.

Calling sequences are code statements to create activations records on

the stack and enter data in them
– Caller’s calling sequence enters actual arguments, control link, access
link, and saved machine state
– Callee’s calling sequence initializes local data
– Callee’s return sequence enters return value
– Caller’s return sequence removes activation record

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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Creation of An Activation Record

return value Caller’s Activation Record
actual parameters
optional control link
optional access link
saved machine status
local data Caller’s Responsibility
temporaries
return value Callee’s Activation Record
actual parameters
optional control link
optional access link
saved machine status Callee’s Responsibility
local data
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temporaries
Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Variable Length Data

return value
actual parameters
optional control link
optional access link The storage of variable length is not the part
of the activation record, only a pointer to the
saved machine status
beginning of each array appears in the
local data activation record.
pointer a
pointer b
temporaries
array a
array b

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Compiler Construction Run Time Environments

Exercise

Q.7.1 and Q. 7.2 from text book

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