https://gcc.gnu.org/g:c10bd8ce54ba8f801c68c6ffa5a416d10ef6a1ff
commit r16-4960-gc10bd8ce54ba8f801c68c6ffa5a416d10ef6a1ff Author: Alfie Richards <[email protected]> Date: Tue Oct 14 15:08:18 2025 +0000 docs: fmv: Update Function multi-versioning documentation [PR c/122202] This updates the FMV documentation to the current state of things, including the addition of "target_version" based FMV. Left as much of the x86 target based FMV documentation unchanged as the behaviour change there should be unchanged. Though highlights some of the differences between it and target_version FMV to try avoid confusion there. PR c/122202 gcc/ChangeLog: * doc/extend.texi (target function attribute): Update to describe FMV behaviour. (target_version function attribute): New section. (target_clones attribute): Update to descrbe new behaviour with target_version. (Function Multiversioning): Update to discuss both target_version and target based FMV. Diff: --- gcc/doc/extend.texi | 133 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 117 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-) diff --git a/gcc/doc/extend.texi b/gcc/doc/extend.texi index 00273c0b673f..742782582064 100644 --- a/gcc/doc/extend.texi +++ b/gcc/doc/extend.texi @@ -3471,12 +3471,41 @@ Function Attributes}, @ref{PowerPC Function Attributes}, @ref{ARM Function Attributes}, @ref{AArch64 Function Attributes}, and @ref{S/390 Function Attributes} for details. +On targets supporting @code{target} function multiversioning (x86), when using +C++, you can declare multiple functions with the same signatures but different +@code{target} attribute values, and the correct version is chosen by the +dynamic linker. In the example below, two function versions are produced +with differing mangling. Additionally an ifunc resolver is created to +select the correct version to populate the @code{func} symbol. + +@smallexample +int func (void) __attribute__ ((target ("arch=core2"))) @{ return 1; @} +int func (void) __attribute__ ((target ("sse3"))) @{ return 2; @} +@end smallexample + +Declarations annotated with @code{target} cannot be used in combination with +declarations annotated with @code{target_clones} in a single multiversioned +function definition. + +@xref{Function Multiversioning} for more details. + +@cindex @code{target_version} function attribute +@item target_version (@var{option}) +On targets with @code{target_version} function multiversioning (AArch64 and +RISC-V) in C or C++, you can declare multiple functions with +@code{target_version} or @code{target_clones} attributes to define a function +version set. + +@xref{Function Multiversioning} for more details. + @cindex @code{target_clones} function attribute @item target_clones (@var{options}) The @code{target_clones} attribute is used to specify that a function be cloned into multiple versions compiled with different target options -than specified on the command line. The supported options and restrictions -are the same as for @code{target} attribute. +than specified on the command line. + +For the x86 and PowerPC targets, the supported options and restrictions +are the same as for the @code{target} attribute. For instance, on an x86, you could compile a function with @code{target_clones("sse4.1,avx")}. GCC creates two function clones, @@ -3488,16 +3517,20 @@ function clones, one compiled with @option{-mcpu=power9} and another with the default options. GCC must be configured to use GLIBC 2.23 or newer in order to use the @code{target_clones} attribute. -It also creates a resolver function (see -the @code{ifunc} attribute above) that dynamically selects a clone -suitable for current architecture. The resolver is created only if there -is a usage of a function with @code{target_clones} attribute. +@code{target_clones} works similarly for targets that support the +@code{target_version} attribute (AArch64 and RISC-V). The attribute takes +multiple arguments, and generates a versioned clone for each. A function +annotated with @code{target_clones} is equivalent to the same function +duplicated for each valid version string in the argument, where each +version is instead annotated with @code{target_version}. This means that a +@code{target_clones} annotated function definition can be used in combination +with @code{target_version} annotated functions definitions and other +@code{target_clones} annotated function definitions. -Note that any subsequent call of a function without @code{target_clone} -from a @code{target_clone} caller will not lead to copying -(target clone) of the called function. -If you want to enforce such behavior, -we recommend declaring the calling function with the @code{flatten} attribute? +For these targets the supported options and restrictions are the same as for +the @code{target_version} attribute. + +@xref{Function Multiversioning} for more details. @cindex @code{unavailable} function attribute @item unavailable @@ -30938,11 +30971,79 @@ For the effects of the @code{hot} attribute on functions, see @section Function Multiversioning @cindex function versions -With the GNU C++ front end, for x86 targets, you may specify multiple -versions of a function, where each function is specialized for a -specific target feature. At runtime, the appropriate version of the -function is automatically executed depending on the characteristics of -the execution platform. Here is an example. +Function multiversioning is a mechanism that enables compiling multiple +versions of a function, each specialized for different combinations of +architecture extensions. Additionally, the compiler generates a resolver that +the dynamic linker uses to detect architecture support and choose the +appropriate version at runtime. + +Function multiversioning relies on the indirect function extension to the ELF +standard, and therefore Binutils version 2.20.1 or higher and GNU C Library +version 2.11.1 are required to use this feature. + +There are two versions of function multiversioning supported by GCC. + +For targets supporting the @code{target_version} attribute (AArch64 and RISC-V), +when compiling for C or C++, a function version set can be defined by a +combination of function definitions with @code{target_version} and +@code{target_clones} attributes, across translation units. + +For example: + +@smallexample +// fmv.h: +int foo (); +int foo [[gnu::target_clones("sve", "sve2")]] (); +int foo [[gnu::target_version("dotprod;priority=1")]] (); + +// fmv1.cc +#include "fmv.h" + +int foo () +@{ + // The default version of foo. + return 0; +@} + +// fmv2.cc: +#include "fmv.h" + +int foo [[gnu::target_clones("sve", "sve2")]] () +@{ + // foo versions for sve and sve2 + return 1; +@} + +int foo [[gnu::target_version("dotprod")]] () +@{ + // foo version for dotprod extension + return 2; +@} + +// main.cc +#include "fmv.h" + +int main () +@{ + int (*p)() = &foo; + assert ((*p) () == foo ()); + return 0; +@} +@end smallexample + +This example results in 4 versions of the foo function being generated, and +a resolver which is used by the dynamic linker to choose the correct version. + +For the AArch64 target GCC implements function multiversionsing, with the +semantics and version strings as specified in the +@ref{ARM C Language Extensions (ACLE)}. + +For targets that support multiversioning with the @code{target} attribute +(x86) a multiversioned function can be defined with either multiple function +definitions with the @code{target} attribute (in C++) within a translation unit, +or a single definition with the @code{target_clones} attribute. + +Here is an example. @smallexample __attribute__ ((target ("default")))
