5.10 Register Variables and Parameters

The C/C++ compiler treats register variables (variables defined with the register keyword) differently, depending on whether you use the --opt_level (-O) option.

• Compiling with optimization

The compiler ignores any register definitions and allocates registers to variables and temporary values by using an algorithm that makes the most efficient use of registers.

• Compiling without optimization

If you use the register keyword, you can suggest variables as candidates for allocation into registers. The compiler uses the same set of registers for allocating temporary expression results as it uses for allocating register variables.

The compiler attempts to honor all register definitions. If the compiler runs out of appropriate registers, it frees a register by moving its contents to memory. If you define too many objects as register variables, you limit the number of registers the compiler has for temporary expression results. This limit causes excessive movement of register contents to memory.

Any object with a scalar type (integral, floating point, or pointer) can be defined as a register variable. The register designator is ignored for objects of other types, such as arrays.

The register storage class is meaningful for parameters as well as local variables. Normally, in a function, some of the parameters are copied to a location on the stack where they are referenced during the function body. The compiler copies a register parameter to a register instead of the stack, which speeds access to the parameter within the function.

For more information about register conventions, see Section 6.3.