Simple code optimizations

Program optimization has received a great deal of attention for many years, which has resulted in numerous advances in compiler technology. The effectiveness of various simple optimizations has received comparably little attention during the same time period. The simplicity of most programs suggests that straightforward optimizations pay the greatest dividends. This paper describes three such optimizations suitable for one‐pass compilers. The optimizations involve expression rearrangement, instruction selection, and the use of a cache for the allocation of resources. The cost of these optimizations is low; none require major changes to the size or structure of the compiler or reduce compilation speed by more than 10%. The benefits are high; each optimization results in at least a 10% average reduction in object code size and a corresponding reduction in execution time. Examples and implementation details are also described.

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