================ @@ -0,0 +1,114 @@ +# Key Instructions debug info in LLVM + +Key Instructions reduces the jumpiness of optimized code debug stepping. This document explains the feature and how it is implemented in LLVM. For Clang support please see the [Clang docs](../../clang/docs/KeyInstructionsClang.md) + +## Status + +In development, but mostly complete. The feature is currently disabled for coroutines. + +Tell Clang [not] to produce Key Instructions metadata with `-g[no-]key-instructions`. See the Clang docs for implementation info. + +The feature improves optimized code stepping; it's intended for the feature to be used with optimisations enabled. Although the feature works at O0 it is not recommended because in some cases the effect of editing variables may not always be immediately realised. (This is a quirk of the current implementation, rather than fundemental limitation, covered in more detail later). + +This is a DWARF-based feature. There is currently no plan to support CodeView. + +Set LLVM flag `-dwarf-use-key-instructions` to `false` to ignore Key Instructions metadata when emitting DWARF. + +## Problem statement + +A lot of the noise in stepping comes from code motion and instruction scheduling. Consider a long expression on a single line. It may involve multiple operations that optimisations move, re-order, and interleave with other instructions that have different line numbers. + +DWARF provides a helpful tool the compiler can employ to mitigate this jumpiness, the `is_stmt` flag, which indicates that an instruction is a recommended breakpoint location. However, LLVM's current approach to deciding `is_stmt` placement essentially reduces down to "is the associated line number different to the previous instruction's?". + +(Note: It's up to the debugger if it wants to interpret `is_stmt` or not, and at time of writing LLDB doesn't; possibly because until now LLVM's is_stmts convey no information that can't already be deduced from the rest of the line table.) ---------------- jryans wrote:
```suggestion (Note: It's up to the debugger if it wants to interpret `is_stmt` or not, and at time of writing LLDB doesn't; possibly because until now LLVM's `is_stmt`s convey no information that can't already be deduced from the rest of the line table.) ``` https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/137991 _______________________________________________ cfe-commits mailing list cfe-commits@lists.llvm.org https://lists.llvm.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cfe-commits
