Re: [Caml-list] Re: optimize div to right shift (NOT!)

["Török Edwin" <edwintorok@gmail.com>]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:33:33 +0000
Jonathan Kimmitt <jonathan@kimmitt.co.uk> wrote:

> 
> > A C compiler would optimize this to a right shift. Changing that to
> > 'Int64.shift_right n 1' speeds up the code.
> 
> Sorry to be a pedant, but this is not correct. The optimisation is
> only possible when the arguments are unsigned integers 

That particular program never used negative integers.

> which I don't
> think is specifiable when working in OCAML

You are right, there is no way to tell ocaml that.

> 
> # Int64.shift_right (-2L) 1;;
> - : int64 = -1L (So far, so good)
> # Int64.div (-1L) 2L;;
> - : int64 = 0L (Good)
> # Int64.shift_right (-1L) 1;;
> - : int64 = -1L (Duh)

It is still possible to avoid the division, gcc generates this:
	movq	%rdi, %rax
	shrq	$63, %rax
	addq	%rdi, %rax
	sarq	%rax

Or a better example with division by 8:
	leaq	7(%rdi), %rax
	testq	%rdi, %rdi
	cmovns	%rdi, %rax
	sarq	$3, %rax

And division by non-power of two integers can optimized by replacing it
with multiplication with its inverse (which gcc and llvm don't do for
signed divisions, only for unsigned ones):
http://www.hackersdelight.org/HDcode/magic.c.txt
http://www.hackersdelight.org/HDcode/magicu.c.txt

Best regards,
--Edwin