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CSE325 SLecture 10 Sub Programs Recursion

This document discusses the implementation of subprograms in programming languages. It covers the general semantics of calls and returns, including parameter passing and stack allocation of local variables. It then describes how simple subprograms can be implemented using activation records on the call stack to save execution context. More complex implementations support stack-dynamic local variables and recursion through dynamic chains of activation records.

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Md. Amdadul Bari
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38 views

CSE325 SLecture 10 Sub Programs Recursion

This document discusses the implementation of subprograms in programming languages. It covers the general semantics of calls and returns, including parameter passing and stack allocation of local variables. It then describes how simple subprograms can be implemented using activation records on the call stack to save execution context. More complex implementations support stack-dynamic local variables and recursion through dynamic chains of activation records.

Uploaded by

Md. Amdadul Bari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LECTURE 10

IMPLEMENTING
SUBPROGRAMS
CSE 325/CSE 425:
CONCEPTS OF
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

INSTRUCTOR: DR. F. A. FAISAL


CONTENT
•  The General Semantics of Calls and
Returns
•  Implementing “Simple” Subprograms
•  Implementing Subprograms with Stack-
dynamic local variables
•  Nested Subprograms
•  Blocks
•  Implementing Dynamic Scoping
THE GENERAL SEMANTICS
OF CALLS AND RETURNS

•  The subprogram call and return operations of a


language are together called its subprogram
linkage
•  General semantics of calls to a subprogram
•  Parameter passing methods
•  Stack-dynamic allocation of local variables
•  Save the execution status of calling program
•  Transfer of control and arrange for the return
•  If subprogram nesting is supported, access to
nonlocal variables must be arranged
THE GENERAL SEMANTICS
OF CALLS AND RETURNS

•  General semantics of subprogram returns:


•  Out mode and inout (if pass by value-result)
mode Parameters must have their values
returned
•  Deallocation of stack-dynamic locals
•  Restore the execution status
•  Return control to the caller
IMPLEMENTING “SIMPLE”
SUBPROGRAMS

•  Call Semantics:
•  Save the execution status of the caller
•  Pass the parameters
•  Pass the return address to the called
•  Transfer control to the called
(CONT.)
•  Return Semantics:
•  If pass-by-value-result or out mode parameters are
used, move the current values of those parameters to
their corresponding actual parameters
•  If it is a function, mode the functional value to a place
the caller can get it
•  Restore the execution status of the caller
•  Transfer control back to the caller
•  Required storage:
•  Status information, parameters, return address, return
value for functions, temporaries
(CONT.)

•  Two separate parts: the actual code and the non-


code part (local variables and data that can
change)
•  The format, or layout, of the non-code part of an
executing subprogram is called an activation
record.
•  An activation record instance is a concrete
example of an activation record (the collection of
data for a particular subprogram activation)
AN ACTIVATION RECORD FOR
“SIMPLE” SUBPROGRAMS
CODE AND ACTIVATION RECORDS
OF A PROGRAM WITH “SIMPLE ”
SUBPROGRAMS

•  This activation record


consists of main, (A, B, C)
subprograms and suppose
the subprograms (if stored
in different file) then
compiled together by
linker.
IMPLEMENTING SUBPROGRAMS
WITH STACK-DYNAMIC LOCAL
VARIABLES

•  More complex activation record


•  The compiler must generate code to
cause implicit allocation and deallocation
of local variables
•  Recursion must be supported (adds the
possibility of multiple simultaneous
activations of a subprogram)
TYPICAL ACTIVATION RECORD
FOR A LANGUAGE WITH STACK-
DYNAMIC LOCAL VARIABLES
IMPLEMENTING SUBPROGRAMS
WITH STACK-DYNAMIC LOCAL
VARIABLES: ACTIVATION RECORD

•  The activation record format is static, but its size may be


dynamic
•  The dynamic link points to the top of an instance of the
activation record of the caller
•  An activation record instance is dynamically created when
a subprogram is called
•  Activation record instances reside on the run-time stack
•  The Environment Pointer (EP) must be maintained by the
run-time system. It always points at the base of the
activation record instance of the currently execution
program unit.
EXAMPLE
REVISED SEMANTIC
CALL/RETURN ACTIONS
•  Caller Actions:
•  Create an activation record instance
•  Save the execution status of the current program
unit
•  Compute and pass the parameters
•  Pass the return address to the called
•  Transfer control to the called
•  Prologue actions of the called:
•  Save the old EP in the stack as the dynamic link
and create the new value
•  Allocate local variables
(CONT.)
•  Epilogue actions of the called:
•  If there are passed-by-value-result or out-mode
parameters, the current values of those
parameters are moved to the corresponding actual
parameters
•  If the subprogram is a function, its value is moved
to a place accessible to the caller.
•  Restore the stack pointer by setting it to the value
of the current EP-1 and set the EP to the old
dynamic link.
•  Restore the execution status of the caller
•  Transfer control back to the caller
AN EXAMPLE WITHOUT RECURSION
AN EXAMPLE WITHOUT RECURSION
DYNAMIC CHAIN AND
LOCAL OFFSET

•  The collection of dynamic links in the stack at a


given time is called the dynamic chain, or call
chain
•  Local variables can be accessed by their offset
from the beginning of the activation record,
whose address is in the EP. This offset is called
the local_offset
•  The local_offset of a local variable can be
determined by compiler at compile time.
AN EXAMPLE WITH
RECURSION

Activation record for factorial


STACKS FOR CALLS TO FACTORIAL
STACKS FOR
RETURNS FROM
FACTORIAL
LOCATING A NON-
LOCAL REFERENCE

•  Finding the offset is easy


•  Finding the correct activation record
instance
•  Static semantic rules guarantee that all
non-local variables that can be referenced
have been allocated in some activation
record instance that is on the stack when
the reference is made.
THANKS

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