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Intermezzo - Stackframes

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4 views7 pages

Intermezzo - Stackframes

Uploaded by

oxagys
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Intermezzo

How to deal with


procedures / functions?
A (very) short introduction to the stack
and stack frames (activation records)

1
6 Steps in Execution of a Procedure
1. Main routine (caller) places parameters in a place
where the procedure (callee) can access them
! $a0 - $a3: four argument registers

2. Caller transfers control to the callee


3. Callee acquires the storage resources needed
4. Callee performs the desired task
5. Callee places the result value in a place where the
caller can access it
! $v0 - $v1: two value registers for result values

6. Callee returns control to the caller


! $ra: one return address register to return to the point of origin

2
Procedure Call Instructions
— Procedure call: jump and link
jal ProcedureLabel
◦ Address of following instruction put in $ra
◦ Jumps to target address
— Procedure return: jump register
jr $ra
◦ Copies $ra to program counter
◦ Can also be used for computed jumps
– e.g., for case/switch statements

3
Non-Leaf Procedures
— Procedures that call other procedures
— For nested call, caller needs to save on
the stack (special section of memory):
◦ Its return address
◦ Any arguments and temporaries needed after
the call
— Restore from the stack after the call

4
Memory Layout

— Text: program code


— Static data: global variables
◦ e.g., static variables in C,
constant arrays and
strings
◦ $gp initialized to address
allowing ±offsets into this
segment
— Dynamic data: heap
◦ e.g., ‘malloc’ in C, ‘new’ in
Java
— Stack: automatic storage

5
Local Data on the Stack

— Local data allocated by callee


◦ e.g., C automatic variables
— Procedure/Stack frame (activation record)

6
Recap: Register Usage
— $zero: hardwired value 0 (reg 0)
— $a0 – $a3: arguments (reg’s 4 – 7)
— $v0, $v1: result values (reg’s 2 and 3)
— $t0 – $t9: temporaries (reg’s 8 – 15, 24, 25)
◦ Can be overwritten by callee
— $s0 – $s7: saved (reg’s 16 – 23)
◦ Must be saved/restored by callee
— $gp: global pointer for static data (reg 28)
— $sp: stack pointer (reg 29)
— $fp: frame pointer (reg 30)
— $ra: return address (reg 31)

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