On Thu, 16 Jul 2026, 15:37 Tamar Christina, <[email protected]> wrote:

> In GCC 16 the commit r16-7193-g158ad5f96954da5fa24d5c2a91ae92417fb62e20
> caused a big regression in performance of regex in libstdc++.
>
> This and other patches were tested using the CPP version of the benchmarks
> at https://github.com/mariomka/regex-benchmark/
>
> The benchmark uses regex_token_iterator over the input text with these
> patterns:
>
> - email: [\w.+-]+@[\w.-]+\.[\w.-]+
> - URI: [\w]+:\/\/[^\/\s?#]+[^\s?#]+(?:\?[^\s#]*)?(?:#[^\s]*)?
> - IPv4:
> (?:(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9])\.){3}(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9])
>
> Where it tests various types of regexpr. "email" has no backtracking so
> it's the
> simplest NFA possible which we should be able to handle quickly.
>
> "uri" has optional matches and some non capturing groups and "ipv4" adds
> some
> alternative matching to the equation.
>
> The input string is a 6.52 mb test file "input-text.txt"
>
> The regressions of each type of regexpr compared to GCC 15 are:
>
>   email: 118.9%
>   URI: 124.8%
>   IPv4: 139.8%
>
> So most matches became > 2x slower.
>
> This patch series addresses the regressions and gets the new code to be
> ultimately faster than the GCC 15 implementation.
>
> Currently the _Executor class implements both a DFS and a BFS traveral mode
> for the regex matching.  It has a parameter _M_search_mode which it uses
> inside the _Executor functions to separate out the implementations.
>
> However this parameter is rather opague to IPA and so for each
> implementation
> the other branch is always dead but they haven't been folded away.
>
> This increases the number of dynamic instructions and branches being
> executed
> and the branches seem to be often mispredicted.
>
> The patch fixes it by moving _Search_mode out of the class and making it a
> template parameter instead so we can at compile time fold away the two
> implementations.  This removes all the extra compare and branches from the
> hot functions.
>
> These changes improve the benchmarks compared with GCC 16 with
>
>   email: 17.8%
>   URI: 16.8%
>   IPv4: 8.9%
>
> On Neoverse-V1
>
> So there is still a regression until the end of the series and each patch
> will chip away at it.
>
> Also note that with none of these changes do I see an increase heap or
> stack
> usage that the original fix fixed.  RSS stays about the same.
>
> PS. thanks for the link to the algorithm in the source, it was useful to
> understand how the machinery works!
>
> Bootstrapped Regtested on aarch64-none-linux-gnu,
> arm-none-linux-gnueabihf, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
> -m32, -m64 and no issues.
>
> Ok for master?
>
> Thanks,
> Tamar
>
> libstdc++-v3/ChangeLog:
>
>         PR libstdc++/126274
>         * include/bits/regex_executor.h (_Search_mode): Move to top level.
>         (_M_handle_repeat, _M_handle_match, _M_handle_accept, _M_node,
> _M_dfs):
>         Add template parameter.
>         (_M_visited): Add inline keyword.
>         * include/bits/regex_executor.tcc (_M_handle_repeat,
> _M_handle_match,
>         _M_handle_accept, _M_node, _M_dfs): Use template parameter.
>
> ---
> diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.h
> b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.h
> index
> 797ad702784b6d1bf07734d91683946d989630f5..f6e55f2f4aaa8fb3fa8d963b04d5bcf0b3b191d3
> 100644
> --- a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.h
> +++ b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.h
> @@ -50,10 +50,11 @@ namespace __detail
>     * The %_Executor class has two modes: DFS mode and BFS mode, controlled
>     * by the function parameter %__search_mode.
>     */
> +  enum class _Search_mode : unsigned char { _BFS = 0, _DFS = 1 };
>

Patrick's comments are the most relevant, I'll just say that these should
be _Bfs and _Dfs, not all-caps.


+
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
>      class _Executor
>      {
> -      enum class _Search_mode : unsigned char { _BFS = 0, _DFS = 1 };
>        enum class _Match_mode : unsigned char { _Exact, _Prefix };
>
>      public:
> @@ -116,7 +117,8 @@ namespace __detail
>        void
>        _M_rep_once_more(_Match_mode __match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
> -      void
> +      template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
> +       void
>        _M_handle_repeat(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
>        void
> @@ -137,22 +139,26 @@ namespace __detail
>        void
>        _M_handle_subexpr_lookahead(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
> -      void
> +      template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
> +       void
>        _M_handle_match(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
>        void
>        _M_handle_backref(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
> -      void
> +      template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
> +       void
>        _M_handle_accept(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
>        void
>        _M_handle_alternative(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
> -      void
> +      template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
> +       void
>        _M_node(_Match_mode, _StateIdT);
>
> -      void
> +      template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
> +       void
>        _M_dfs(_Match_mode __match_mode, _StateIdT __start);
>
>        bool
> @@ -247,7 +253,7 @@ namespace __detail
>         return (_M_re._M_automaton->_M_options() & __m) == __m;
>        }
>
> -      bool
> +      inline bool
>        _M_visited(_StateIdT __i)
>        {
>         if (_M_visited_states)
> diff --git a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.tcc
> b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.tcc
> index
> 167a7a345300868ed5e0852e328569aec47e3d0d..86f6c6240853d673f47099a5fd15fe84fc99316e
> 100644
> --- a/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.tcc
> +++ b/libstdc++-v3/include/bits/regex_executor.tcc
> @@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ namespace __detail
>        _M_has_sol = false;
>        *_M_get_sol_pos() = _BiIter();
>        _M_cur_results = _M_results;
> -      _M_dfs(__match_mode, _M_start);
> +      _M_dfs<_Search_mode::_DFS>(__match_mode, _M_start);
>        return _M_has_sol;
>      }
>
> @@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ namespace __detail
>           for (auto& __task : __old_queue)
>             {
>               _M_cur_results = _ResultsVec(std::move(__task.second),
> __alloc);
> -             _M_dfs(__match_mode, __task.first);
> +             _M_dfs<_Search_mode::_BFS>(__match_mode, __task.first);
>             }
>           if (__match_mode == _Match_mode::_Prefix)
>             __ret |= _M_has_sol;
> @@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ namespace __detail
>    // mean the same thing, and we need to choose the correct order under
>    // given greedy mode.
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
> +  template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
>      void _Executor<_BiIter, _Alloc, _TraitsT>::
>      _M_handle_repeat(_Match_mode, _StateIdT __i)
>      {
> @@ -288,7 +289,7 @@ namespace __detail
>        // Greedy.
>        if (!__state._M_neg)
>         {
> -         if (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
> +         if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>             // If it's DFS executor and already accepted, we're done.
>             _M_frames.emplace_back(_S_fopcode_fallback_next,
> __state._M_next,
>                                    _M_current);
> @@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ namespace __detail
>         }
>        else // Non-greedy mode
>         {
> -         if (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
> +         if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>             {
>               // vice-versa.
>               _M_frames.emplace_back(_S_fopcode_fallback_rep_once_more,
> __i,
> @@ -390,13 +391,14 @@ namespace __detail
>      }
>
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
> +  template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
>      void _Executor<_BiIter, _Alloc, _TraitsT>::
>      _M_handle_match(_Match_mode, _StateIdT __i)
>      {
>        const auto& __state = _M_nfa[__i];
>        if (_M_current == _M_end)
>         return;
> -      if (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
> +      if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>         {
>           if (__state._M_matches(*_M_current))
>             {
> @@ -487,10 +489,11 @@ namespace __detail
>      }
>
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
> +  template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
>      void _Executor<_BiIter, _Alloc, _TraitsT>::
>      _M_handle_accept(_Match_mode __match_mode, _StateIdT)
>      {
> -      if (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
> +      if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>         {
>           __glibcxx_assert(!_M_has_sol);
>           if (__match_mode == _Match_mode::_Exact)
> @@ -562,19 +565,23 @@ namespace __detail
>      }
>
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
> +  template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
>  #ifdef __OPTIMIZE__
>      [[__gnu__::__always_inline__]]
>  #endif
>      inline void _Executor<_BiIter, _Alloc, _TraitsT>::
>      _M_node(_Match_mode __match_mode, _StateIdT __i)
>      {
> -      if (_M_visited(__i))
> -       return;
> +      // DFS has no _M_visited implementation as such don't even have the
> branch
> +      // or the check in the call graph.
> +      if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_BFS)
> +       if (_M_visited(__i))
> +         return;
>
>        switch (_M_nfa[__i]._M_opcode())
>         {
>         case _S_opcode_repeat:
> -         _M_handle_repeat(__match_mode, __i); break;
> +         _M_handle_repeat<__search_mode>(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         case _S_opcode_subexpr_begin:
>           _M_handle_subexpr_begin(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         case _S_opcode_subexpr_end:
> @@ -588,15 +595,15 @@ namespace __detail
>         case _S_opcode_subexpr_lookahead:
>           _M_handle_subexpr_lookahead(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         case _S_opcode_match:
> -         _M_handle_match(__match_mode, __i); break;
> +         _M_handle_match<__search_mode>(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         case _S_opcode_backref:
> -         if (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
> +         if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>             _M_handle_backref(__match_mode, __i);
>           else
>             __builtin_unreachable();
>           break;
>         case _S_opcode_accept:
> -         _M_handle_accept(__match_mode, __i); break;
> +         _M_handle_accept<__search_mode>(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         case _S_opcode_alternative:
>           _M_handle_alternative(__match_mode, __i); break;
>         default:
> @@ -605,10 +612,10 @@ namespace __detail
>      }
>
>    template<typename _BiIter, typename _Alloc, typename _TraitsT>
> +  template<_Search_mode __search_mode>
>      void _Executor<_BiIter, _Alloc, _TraitsT>::
>      _M_dfs(_Match_mode __match_mode, _StateIdT __start)
>      {
> -      const bool __dfs_mode = (_M_search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS);
>        _M_frames.emplace_back(_S_fopcode_next, __start);
>
>        while (!_M_frames.empty())
> @@ -621,17 +628,17 @@ namespace __detail
>             case _S_fopcode_fallback_next:
>               if (_M_has_sol)
>                 break;
> -             if (__dfs_mode)
> +             if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>                 _M_current = __frame._M_pos;
>               [[__fallthrough__]];
>             case _S_fopcode_next:
> -             _M_node(__match_mode, __frame._M_state_id);
> +             _M_node<__search_mode>(__match_mode, __frame._M_state_id);
>               break;
>
>             case _S_fopcode_fallback_rep_once_more:
>               if (_M_has_sol)
>                 break;
> -             if (__dfs_mode)
> +             if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>                 _M_current = __frame._M_pos;
>               [[__fallthrough__]];
>             case _S_fopcode_rep_once_more:
> @@ -641,7 +648,7 @@ namespace __detail
>             case _S_fopcode_posix_alternative:
>               _M_frames.emplace_back(_S_fopcode_merge_sol, 0, _M_has_sol);
>               _M_frames.emplace_back(_S_fopcode_next, __frame._M_state_id);
> -             if (__dfs_mode)
> +             if constexpr (__search_mode == _Search_mode::_DFS)
>                 _M_current = __frame._M_pos;
>               _M_has_sol = false;
>               break;
>
>
> --
>

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