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CENG 311 Decisions in C/Assembly Language

This document discusses decisions and loops in C and MIPS assembly language. It covers: - Compiling if/else statements and loops from C to equivalent MIPS code using conditional branch instructions like beq. - Implementing inequality tests like < in MIPS using the slt instruction, and how to represent >, <= and >=. - Translating the C switch statement to a chain of if/else comparisons in MIPS. - Key concepts that decisions are made through conditional branches in MIPS, and the slt instruction enables testing inequalities.

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35 views

CENG 311 Decisions in C/Assembly Language

This document discusses decisions and loops in C and MIPS assembly language. It covers: - Compiling if/else statements and loops from C to equivalent MIPS code using conditional branch instructions like beq. - Implementing inequality tests like < in MIPS using the slt instruction, and how to represent >, <= and >=. - Translating the C switch statement to a chain of if/else comparisons in MIPS. - Key concepts that decisions are made through conditional branches in MIPS, and the slt instruction enables testing inequalities.

Uploaded by

Prestigious Ali
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CENG 311

Decisions in C/Assembly Language

Review (1/2) In MIPS Assembly Language:


Registers replace C variables One Instruction (simple operation) per line Simpler is Better Smaller is Faster

Memory is byte-addressable, but lw and sw access one word at a time.

A pointer (used by lw and sw) is just a memory address, so we can add to it or subtract from it (using offset).
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Review (2/2) New Instructions:


add, addi, sub, lw, sw

New Registers:
C Variables: $s0 - $s7

Temporary Variables: $t0 - $t9


Zero: $zero

Overvie w C/Assembly Decisions: if, if-else C/Assembly Loops: while, do while, for Inequalities

C Switch Statement

C Decisions: if Statements 2 kinds of if statements in C


if (condition) clause

if (condition) clause1 else clause2

Rearrange 2nd if into following:


if (condition) goto L1; clause2; go to L2; L1: clause1;

L2:
Not as elegant as if-else, but same meaning
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MIPS Decision Instructions Decision instruction in MIPS:


beq register1, register2, L1

beq is Branch if (registers are) equal Same meaning as (using C): if (register1==register2) goto L1

Complementary MIPS decision instruction


bne register1, register2, L1 bne is Branch if (registers are) not equal Same meaning as (using C): if (register1!=register2) goto L1

Called conditional branches


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MIPS Goto Instruction In addition to conditional branches, MIPS has an unconditional branch:

label

Called a Jump Instruction: jump (or branch) directly to the given label without needing to satisfy any condition Same meaning as (using C): goto label Technically, its the same as: beq $0,$0,label
*

since it always satisfies the condition.

Compiling C if into MIPS (1/2) Compile by hand (true)


if (i == j) f=g+h; else f=g-h;
i == j
f=g+h

(false) i == j? i != j f=g-h

Use this mapping:

Exit

f: $s0, g: $s1, h: $s2, i: $s3, j: $s4

Compiling C if into MIPS (2/2)


(true) i == j f=g+h

(false) i == j? i != j f=g-h

Final compiled MIPS code (fill in the blank):

Exit

Loops in C/Assembly (1/3) Simple loop in C


do { g = g + A[i]; i + j; (i != h); i = } while

Rewrite this as:


Loop: g = g + A[i]; i = i + j; if (i != h) goto Loop;

Use this mapping: g: $s1, h: $s2, i: $s3, j: $s4, base of A:$s5


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Loops in C/Assembly (2/3) Final compiled MIPS code (fill in the blank):

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Loops in C/Assembly (3/3) There are three types of loops in C:


while

do while
for

Each can be rewritten as either of the other two, so the method used in the previous example can be applied to while and for loops as well.

Key Concept: Though there are multiple ways of writing a loop in MIPS, conditional branch is key to decision making
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Inequalities in MIPS (1/4) Until now, weve only tested equalities (== and != in C). General programs need to test < and > as well. Create a MIPS Inequality Instruction:
Set on Less Than

Syntax: slt
Meaning:

reg1,reg2,reg3

if (reg2 < reg3) reg1 = 1; else reg1 = 0; In computereeze, set means set to 1, reset means set to 0.
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Inequalities in MIPS (2/4) How do we use this? Compile by hand:


if (g < h) goto Less;

Use this mapping:


g: $s0, h: $s1

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Inequalities in MIPS (3/4) Final compiled MIPS code (fill in the blank):

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Inequalities in MIPS (4/4) Now, we can implement <, but how do we implement >, <= and >= ?

We could add 3 more instructions, but:


MIPS goal: Simpler is Better

Can we implement <= in one or more instructions using just slt and the branches? What about >? What about >=?
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Immediates in Inequalities There is also an immediate version of slt to test against constants: slti
Helpful in for loops

C M I P S

if (g >= 1) goto Loop

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What about unsigned numbers? there are unsigned inequality instructions:

sltu, sltiu
which set result to 1 or 0 depending on unsigned comparisons
$s0 = FFFF FFFAhex, $ s1 = 0000 FFFAhex

What is value of $t0, $t1?

slt $t0, $s0, $s1


sltu $t1, $s0, $s1
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Example: The C Switch Statement (1/3) Choose among four alternatives depending on whether k has the value 0, 1, 2 or 3. Compile this C code: switch (k) {
case 0: f=i+j; break; /* k=0*/

case 1: f=g+h; break; /* k=1*/


case 2: f=gh; break; /* k=2*/ case 3: f=ij; break; /* k=3*/ }

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Example: The C Switch Statement (2/3) This is complicated, so simplify. Rewrite it as a chain of if-else statements, which we already know how to compile:
if(k==0) f=i+j; else if(k==1) f=g+h; else if(k==2) f=gh; else if(k==3) f=ij;

Use this mapping:


f: $s0, g: $s1, h: $s2, i: $s3, j: $s4, k: $s5

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Example: The C Switch Statement (3/3) Final compiled MIPS code (fill in the blank):

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Things to Remember (1/2) A Decision allows us to decide which pieces of code to execute at run-time rather than at compile-time. C Decisions are made using conditional statements within an if, while, do while or for. MIPS Decision making instructions are the conditional branches: beq and bne.

In order to help the conditional branches make decisions concerning inequalities, we introduce a single instruction: Set on Less Thancalled slt, slti, sltu, sltui
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Things to Remember (2/2) New Instructions: beq, bne j slt, slti, sltu, sltiu

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