Non-graph based approach on the analysis of pointers and structures

Abstract

In high performance compilers to process pointer-handling programs, precise pointer alias analysis is useful for the compilers to generate efficient object code. It is well known that most compiler techniques such as data flow analysis, dependence analysis, side effect analysis and optimizations are related to the alias problem. However, without data structure information, there is a limit on the precision of the alias analysis. Even though the automatic data structure detection problem is complex, when pointer manipulation satisfies some restrictions, some data structures can be detected automatically by compilers with some knowledge of aliases. In this paper, we propose an automatic data structure detection method for Pascal and Fortran 90. Linear list, tree and dag data structures are detected. Detected data structure information can be used not only for raising the precision of alias analysis but also for some optimizing techniques for pointer handling programs directly.