register allocation

1 definition found

register allocation - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  register allocation
  
     <compiler, algorithm> The phase of a compiler that
     determines which values will be placed in registers.
     Register allocation may be combined with register assignment
     .
  
     This problem can be shown to be isomorphic to graph colouring
      by relating values to nodes in the graph and
     registers to colours.  Values (nodes) which must be valid
     simultaneously are linked by edges and cannot be stored in the
     same register (coloured the same).
  
     See also register dancing and register spilling.
  
     [Preston Briggs, PhD thesis, Rice University, April 1992
     "Register Allocation via Graph Coloring" (ftp://ftp.cs.rice.edu/public/preston/thesis.ps.gz)
     ].
  
     (2000-12-04)