University of Washington

Section 5: Procedures & Stacks

 Stacks in memory and stack operations
 The stack used to keep track of procedure calls
 Return addresses and return values
 Stack-based languages
 The Linux stack frame
 Passing arguments on the stack
 Allocating local variables on the stack
 Register-saving conventions
 Procedures and stacks on x64 architecture

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack-Based Languages
 Languages that support recursion
 e.g., C, Pascal, Java
 Code must be re-entrant
Multiple simultaneous instantiations of single procedure

 Need some place to store state of each instantiation
 Arguments
 Local variables
 Return pointer
 Stack discipline
 State for a given procedure needed for a limited time
 Starting from when it is called to when it returns
 Callee always returns before caller does
 Stack allocated in frames
 State for a single procedure instantiation

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Call Chain Example

Example
yoo(…) Call Chain
{
• yoo
• who(…)
who(); { who
• • • •
• amI();
} amI(…) amI amI
• • • {
amI(); •
• • • amI
•
} amI();
• amI
•
}

Procedure amI is recursive

(calls itself)

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack Frames
Previous
 Contents Frame
 Local variables
 Function arguments Frame Pointer: %ebp
 Return information Frame
 Temporary space for
current
proc
Stack Pointer: %esp
 Management
 Space allocated when procedure is entered
Stack “Top”

“Set-up” code
 Space deallocated upon return
 “Finish” code

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
yoo(…) yoo
%ebp
{
• yoo
who
• %esp
who();
• amI amI
•
}
amI

amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
who(…) yoo
{
• • • yoo
who
amI();
• • • %ebp
amI(); amI amI who
• • •
%esp
}
amI

amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
amI();
• amI amI who
•
} %ebp
amI
amI
%esp
amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
amI();
• amI amI who
•
}
amI
amI

amI %ebp
amI
%esp

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
amI();
• amI amI who
•
}
amI
amI

amI
amI

%ebp
amI
%esp

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
amI();
• amI amI who
•
}
amI
amI

amI %ebp
amI
%esp

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
amI();
• amI amI who
•
} %ebp
amI
amI
%esp
amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
who(…) yoo
{
• • • yoo
who
amI();
• • • %ebp
amI(); amI amI who
• • •
%esp
}
amI

amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
amI(…) yoo
{
• yoo
who
•
•
• amI amI who
•
} %ebp
amI
amI
%esp
amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
who(…) yoo
{
• • • yoo
who
amI();
• • • %ebp
amI(); amI amI who
• • •
%esp
}
amI

amI

Stack-Based Languages
 University of Washington

Stack
Example
yoo(…) yoo
%ebp
{
• yoo
who
• %esp
who();
• amI amI
•
}
amI

amI

Stack-Based Languages