https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=96051
Bug ID: 96051 Summary: alloca(0) triggers TCO for VLA Product: gcc Version: 8.3.1 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: tree-optimization Assignee: unassigned at gcc dot gnu.org Reporter: fwd at quantentunnel dot de Target Milestone: --- Created attachment 48831 --> https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/attachment.cgi?id=48831&action=edit TCO with alloca(0) I have written a function which is properly translated into tail-call-optimized code. Then I tried to replace a call to alloca inside that function by a VLA. Doing so I found a strange behaviour. Using the VLA in place of alloca, but leaving the statement '(int*)alloca(0)' in the source code, still triggers TCO. Removing the (unused) call to alloca(0) prevents the TCO. It is weird because I expected that alloca(0) is removed because it should have no effect. Summary: 1. alloca(n); // n > 0; works as expected (TCO) 2. using VLA and alloca(0); the same output (assembler) as in case 1 (TCO) 3. using VLA without alloca; works as expected (no TCO) Target: x86_64-linux-gnu Configured with: ../src/configure -v --with-pkgversion='Debian 8.3.0-6' --with-bugurl=file:///usr/share/doc/gcc-8/README.Bugs --enable-languages=c,ada,c++,go,brig,d,fortran,objc,obj-c++ --prefix=/usr --with-gcc-major-version-only --program-suffix=-8 --program-prefix=x86_64-linux-gnu- --enable-shared --enable-linker-build-id --libexecdir=/usr/lib --without-included-gettext --enable-threads=posix --libdir=/usr/lib --enable-nls --enable-bootstrap --enable-clocale=gnu --enable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-libstdcxx-time=yes --with-default-libstdcxx-abi=new --enable-gnu-unique-object --disable-vtable-verify --enable-libmpx --enable-plugin --enable-default-pie --with-system-zlib --with-target-system-zlib --enable-objc-gc=auto --enable-multiarch --disable-werror --with-arch-32=i686 --with-abi=m64 --with-multilib-list=m32,m64,mx32 --enable-multilib --with-tune=generic --enable-offload-targets=nvptx-none --without-cuda-driver --enable-checking=release --build=x86_64-linux-gnu --host=x86_64-linux-gnu --target=x86_64-linux-gnu Thread model: posix gcc version 8.3.0 (Debian 8.3.0-6)