Document revision date: 30 March 2001

You can easily find additional arguments if:

• The argument list is not homed, and $ARGn symbols are defined to $ARG7 or higher. If the argument list is not homed, the $ARGn symbols $ARG7 and above always point into the list of parameters passed as quadwords on the stack. Subsequent arguments will be in quadwords following the last defined $ARGn symbol.
• The argument list is homed, and you want to examine an argument that is less than or equal to the maximum number detected by the compiler (either by automatic detection or as specified by MAX_ARGS). If the argument list is homed, $ARGn symbols always point into the homed argument list. Subsequent arguments will be in longwords following the last defined $ARGn symbol.

For example, you can examine arguments beyond the eighth argument in a JSB routine (where the argument list must be homed in the caller), as follows:

DBG> EX $ARG8 ; highest defined $ARGn . . . DBG> EX .+4 ; next arg is in next longword . . . DBG> EX .+4 ; and so on

This example assumes that the caller detected at least 10 arguments when homing the argument list.

To find arguments beyond the last $ARGn symbol in a routine that did not home the arguments, proceed exactly as in the previous example except substitute EX .+8 for EX .+4.

2.12.3.2 Additional Arguments That Are Not Easy to Locate

You cannot easily find additional arguments if:

• The argument list is not homed, and $ARGn symbols are defined only as high as $ARG6. In this case, the existing $ARGn symbols will either point to registers or to quadword locations in the stack frame. In both cases, subsequent arguments cannot be examined by looking at quadword locations beyond the defined $ARGn symbols.
• The argument list is homed, and you want to examine arguments beyond the number detected by the compiler. The $ARGn symbols point to the longwords that are stored in the homed argument list. The compiler only moves as many arguments as it can detect into this list. Examining longwords beyond the last argument that was homed will result in examining various other stack context.

The only way to find the additional arguments in these cases is to examine the compiled machine code to determine where the arguments reside. Both of these problems are eliminated if MAX_ARGS is specified correctly for the maximum argument that you want to examine.

2.12.4 Debugging Code with Packed Decimal Data

The following list provides important information about debugging compiled VAX MACRO code with packed decimal data on an Alpha system:

1. When using the EXAMINE command to examine a location that was declared with a .PACKED directive, the debugger automatically displays the value as a packed decimal data type.
2. You can deposit packed decimal data. The syntax is the same as it is on VAX.

The following list provides important information about debugging compiled VAX MACRO code with floating-point data on an Alpha system:

1. You can use the EXAMINE/FLOAT command to examine an Alpha integer register for a floating-point value.
   Even though there is a set of registers for floating-point operations on Alpha systems, those registers are not used by compiled VAX MACRO code that contains floating-point operations. Only the Alpha integer registers are used.
   Floating-point operations in compiled VAX MACRO code are performed by emulation routines that operate outside the compiler. Therefore, performing VAX MACRO floating-point operations on, say, R7, has no effect on Alpha floating-point Register 7.
2. When using the EXAMINE command to examine a location that was declared with a .FLOAT directive or other floating-point storage directives, the debugger automatically displays the value as floating-point data.
3. When using the EXAMINE command to examine the G_FLOAT data type, the debugger does not use the contents of two registers to build the value for VAX data.
   Consider the following example:

   EXAMINE/G_FLOAT R4

   
   In this example, the lower longwords of R4 and R5 are not used to build the value as is the case on VAX. Instead, the quadword contents of R4 are used.
   The code the compiler generates for D_FLOAT and G_FLOAT operations preserves the VAX format of the data in the low longwords of two consecutive registers. Therefore, using EXAMINE/G_FLOAT on either of these two registers will not give the true floating-point value, and issuing DEPOSIT/G_FLOAT to one of these registers will not give the desired results. You can manually combine the two halves of such a value, however. For example, assume you executed the following instruction:

   MOVG DATA, R6

   
   You could then read the G_FLOAT value which now resides in R6 and R7 with a sequence like the following:

   DBG> EX R6 .MAIN.\%LINE 100\%R6: 0FFFFFFFF D8E640D1 DBG> EX R7 .MAIN.\%LINE 100\%R7: 00000000 2F1B24DD DBG> DEP R0 = 2F1B24DDD8E640D1 DBG> EX/G_FLOAT R0 .MAIN.\%LINE 100\%R0: 4568.89900000000

4. You can deposit floating-point data in an Alpha integer register with the DEPOSIT command. The syntax is the same as it is on a VAX system.
5. H_FLOAT is unsupported.

This chapter describes the coding constructs you should examine when porting VAX MACRO code to OpenVMS Alpha. The occurrence of any of these in a module can make porting take longer than it would otherwise. Although the compiler can identify many of these practices and flag them with diagnostic messages, recognizing them yourself will speed up the porting effort.

In most cases, it will be necessary to change your source code. The exceptions are noted.

The coding constructs described in this chapter are:

• Stack usage ( Section 3.1)
• Instruction stream ( Section 3.2)
• Flow control mechanisms ( Section 3.3)
• Dynamic image relocation ( Section 3.4)
• Overwriting static data ( Section 3.5)
• Static initialization using external symbols ( Section 3.6)
• Transfer vectors ( Section 3.7)
• Arithmetic exceptions ( Section 3.8)
• Page size ( Section 3.9)
• Locking pages into a working set ( Section 3.10)
• Synchronization ( Section 3.11)

The OpenVMS calling standard defines a stack frame format for Alpha systems substantially different from that defined for VAX systems. If your code relies on the format of the VAX stack frame you will need to change it when porting it to an Alpha system.

3.1.1 References to the Procedure Stack Frame

The compiler disallows references to positive stack offsets from FP, and flags them as errors. A single exception to this rule is the practice whereby VAX MACRO code establishes a dynamic condition handler by moving a routine address to the stack location pointed to by FP. The compiler detects this and generates the appropriate Alpha code for establishing such a handler. However, if the write to 0(FP) occurs inside a JSB routine, the compiler will flag it as an error. The compiler allows negative FP offsets, as used for referring to stack storage allocated at procedure entry.

Recommended Change

If possible, remove stack frame references entirely, rather than converting to the Alpha format. For example, if the offending code was attempting to change saved register values, store the new value in a stack temporary and set the register value on routine exit (removing the register from the entry register mask).

3.1.2 References Outside the Current Stack Frame

By monitoring stack depth throughout a VAX MACRO module, the compiler detects references in a routine to data pushed on the stack by its caller and flags them as errors.

Recommended Change

You must eliminate references in a routine to data pushed on the stack by its caller. Instead, pass the required data as parameters or pass a pointer to the stack base from which the data can be read.

3.1.3 Nonaligned Stack References

At routine calls, the compiler octaword-aligns the stack, if the stack is not already octaword-aligned. Some code, when building structures on the stack, makes unaligned stack references or causes the stack pointer to become unaligned. The compiler flags both of these with information-level messages.

Recommended Change

Provide sufficient padding in data elements or structures pushed onto the stack, or change data structure sizes. Because unaligned stack references also have an impact on VAX performance, you should apply these fixes to code designed for both the VAX and Alpha architectures.

3.1.4 Building Data Structures on the Stack

A common coding practice is to produce a structure on the stack by pushing the elements and relying on auto decrement to move the stack pointer to allocate space. The problems with this technique follow:

• If the SDL source for the structure being built is modified to pad the structure in order to align fields, the code will be broken. If the code does not contain assume statements this will not be detected at compile time.
• If the size of a field is extended, the current instruction will not access all the data and this will also go undetected.

Recommended Change

To correct the first problem and detect the second, use the coding technique illustrated in this example. Consider the following code example:

; Build a descriptor on the stack. ; MOVW length, -(SP) MOVB type, -(SP) MOVB class, -(SP) MOVAL buffer, -(SP)

Replace this code with the following:

SUBL2 DSC$S_DSCDEF, SP ; pre-allocate space on stack MOVW length, DSC$W_LENGTH(SP) MOVB type, DSC$B_DTYPE(SP) MOVB size, DSC$B_CLASS(SP) MOVAL buffer, DSC$A_POINTER(SP)

3.1.5 Quadword Moves Into the VAX SP and PC

Due to architectural differences between VAX and Alpha computers, it is not possible to completely emulate quadword moves into the VAX stack pointer (SP) and the program counter (PC) without programmer intervention. The VAX architecture defines R14 as the SP and R15 as the PC. A MOVQ instruction with SP as the target would simultaneously load the VAX SP and PC, as shown in the following example:

MOVQ R0,SP ; Contents of R0 to SP, R1 to PC MOVQ REGDATA, SP ; REGDATA to SP ; REGDATA+4 to PC

If the compiler encounters a MOVQ instruction with SP as the destination, it generates a sign-extended longword load from the supplied source into R30 (the Alpha stack pointer) and issues the following informational message:

%AMAC-I-CODGENINF, (1) Longword update of Alpha SP, PC untouched

Recommended Change

If the intended use of the MOVQ instruction was to achieve the VAX behavior, a MOVL instruction should be used, followed by a branch to the intended address, as shown next:

MOVL REGDATA, SP ; Load the SP MOVL REGDATA+4, R0 ; Get the new PC JMP (R0) ; And Branch

If the intended use of the MOVQ instruction was to load the stack pointer with an 8-byte value, the EVAX_LDQ built-in should be used instead, as shown next:

EVAX_LDQ SP, REGDATA

3.2 Instruction Stream

The following VAX MACRO coding practices and VAX instructions either do not work on OpenVMS Alpha or they can produce unexpected results.

3.2.1 Data Embedded in the Instruction Stream

The compiler detects data embedded in the instruction stream, and reports it as an error.

Data in the instruction stream often takes the form of a JSB instruction followed by a .LONG. This construct allows VAX MACRO code to implicitly pass a parameter to a JSB routine which locates the data by using the return address on the stack. Another occasional use of data in the code stream is to make the data contiguous with the code in memory, so that it can be relocated as a unit.

Recommended Change

For implicit JSB parameters, pass the parameter value in a register. For values larger than a longword, put the data in another program section (psect) and explicitly pass its address.

Because static data must reside in a separate data psect, any code that tries to relocate code and data together must be rewritten.

3.2.2 Run-Time Code Generation

The compiler detects branches to stack locations and to static data areas and flags them as errors.

Recommended Change

You must either remove or modify code that builds instructions for later execution, branches to stack locations, or branches to static data areas. If the code is absolutely necessary, you should conditionalize it for VAX, and generate corresponding, suitable Alpha code.

3.2.3 Dependencies on Instruction Size

Code that computes branch offsets based on instruction lengths, for example, must be changed.

Recommended Change

Use a label and standard branch or a CASE instruction for computed GOTOs.

3.2.4 Incomplete Instructions

Some CASE instructions in OpenVMS VAX code are not followed by offset tables, but instead depend on psect placement by the linker to complete the instruction. The compiler will flag the incomplete instruction as an error.

Recommended Change

Complete the instruction in the module or build a table of addresses in a data psect, and replace the CASE instruction with code to select a destination address from the table and branch.

3.2.5 Untranslatable VAX Instructions

Because the compiler cannot translate the following VAX instructions, it flags them as errors:

• LDPCTX and SVPCTX
• XFC
• ESCD, ESCE, and ESCF
• BUGx

Recommended Change

These instructions usually appear in code that is highly dependent on the VAX architecture. You will need to rewrite such code to port it to Alpha systems.

3.2.6 References to Internal Processor Registers

Pay special attention to the following instructions:

• MFPR
• MTPR

Recommended Change

Verify that they reference valid Alpha internal processor registers (IPRs). If they do not, they will be flagged. For more information about the Alpha internal processor registers, refer to the Alpha Architecture Reference Manual.

3.2.7 Use of Z and N Condition Codes with the BICPSW Instruction

The BICPSW instruction is supported, but the Z and N condition codes cannot be set at the same time. Setting the Z condition code will clear the N condition code and vice versa.

Recommended Change

If you find that your code sets both condition codes at the same time, modify the code.

3.2.8 Interlocked Memory Instructions

The Alpha Architecture Reference Manual, Third Edition describes strict rules for using interlocked memory instructions. In particular, branches within or into LDxL/STxC sequences are not allowed. Branches out of interlocked sequences are valid and need not change. The Alpha 21264 (EV6) processor and all subsequent Alpha processors are more stringent than their predecessors in their requirement that these rules be followed. The Alpha 21264 processor was first supported by OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.1-2.

The MACRO-32 compiler observes these rules in the code it generates from MACRO-32 source code. However, the compiler provides EVAX_LQxL and EVAX_STxC built-ins which enable programmers to write these instructions directly in source code.

To help ensure that these instructions are used in conformance with the rules for using interlocked memory instructions, additional checking was added to the MACRO-32 compiler, starting in Version 3.1 of the compiler for OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.1-2 and in Version 4.1 for OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2.

The compiler reports the following warning messages under the circumstances described:

BRNDIRLOC, branch directive ignored in locked memory sequence

BRNTRGLOC, branch target within locked memory sequence in routine 'routine_name'

MEMACCLOC, memory access within locked memory sequence in routine 'routine_name'

RETFOLLOC, RET/RSB follows LDx_L instruction

RTNCALLOC, routine call within locked memory sequence in routine 'routine_name'

STCMUSFOL, STx_C instruction must follow LDx_L instruction

Recommended Change

If the compiler detects any nonconformant use of interlocked memory instructions, follow the recommended user actions described with these warning messages.

3.2.9 Use of the MOVPSL Instruction

The MOVPSL instruction fetches the Alpha PS, whose contents differ from the VAX PSL (processor status longword). For example, the Alpha PS does not contain the condition code bits. For more information about the Alpha PS, refer to the Alpha Architecture Reference Manual.

Recommended Change

The MOVSPL instruction is rarely used. If your code contains the MOVPSL instruction, you will need to rewrite the code to port it to Alpha systems.

3.3 Flow Control Mechanisms

Certain flow control mechanisms used with VAX MACRO do not produce the desired results on Alpha systems. Therefore, some changes to your code are either recommended or required.

Included in this category are several frequently used variations of modifying the return address on the stack, from within a JSB routine, to change the flow of control. All must be recoded.

3.3.1 Communication by Condition Codes

The compiler detects a JSB instruction followed immediately by a conditional branch, or a conditional branch as the first instruction in a routine, and generates an error message.

Recommended Change

Return a status value or a flag parameter to take the place of implicit communication by means of condition codes.

For example:

BSBW GET_CHAR BNEQ ERROR ; Or BEQL, or BLSS or BGTR, etc

can be replaced with:

BSBW GET_CHAR BLBC R0, ERROR ; Or BLBS

If you are already using R0, you must push it onto the stack and restore it later when you have handled the error.

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