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Understanding Backpatching in Code Generation

Backpacth

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raj121.hawk
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31 views2 pages

Understanding Backpatching in Code Generation

Backpacth

Uploaded by

raj121.hawk
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Backpatching

Backpatching is used during three-address code generation, especially in generating code for
control structures like conditional statements (if-else) and loops (while, for). It's used to patch
the target addresses of jumps (e.g., goto) once the target addresses are known.

Let's illustrate backpatching with a simple example of generating three-address code for an if-
else statement.

Consider the following pseudo-code:

if (condition) {

// true branch

} else {

// false branch

next_instruction:

Step 1: Generate Initial Code Skeleton

if condition goto true_branch

goto false_branch

true_branch:

// true branch code

goto next_instruction

false_branch:

// false branch code

goto next_instruction

next_instruction:
Here, true_branch and false_branch are placeholder labels for the target addresses of the
respective branches.

Step 2: Backpatching

Once we know the actual target addresses of the branches, we go back and patch them into
the generated code.

Let's assume:

The true branch code starts at address L1.

The false branch code starts at address L2.

if condition goto L1

goto L2

L1:

// true branch code

goto next_instruction

L2:

// false branch code

goto next_instruction

next_instruction:

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