Go to the first, previous, next, last section, table of contents.

Tree Nodes

The different kinds of AST nodes are represented by objects derived from the tree_node class. This base class includes features, such as ID numbers, that are shared by all kinds of tree nodes.

The simplest kind of tree node is a tree_instr. Each of these is a leaf node that contains a single instruction or expression.

Conditional structures may be represented by tree_if nodes.

The ASTs include two different kinds of loop nodes. The tree_loop nodes just record the control-flow structure of the loops and are used to represent generic "do-while" loops. Many optimizations, however, only apply to certain well-behaved types of loops. Thus, the trees may also contain tree_for nodes to represent loops with scalar indices that vary from their initial to final values, being incremented or decremented on every iteration, and that meet various other requirements. Most Fortran DO loops qualify as tree_for nodes. Those loops which do not meet the requirements for tree_for nodes are represented by tree_loop nodes instead.

Nested scopes are represented by tree_block nodes. A tree_block contains a list of tree nodes and a symbol table. The symbols and types in the table may only be referenced from within the block. The node at the root of an AST is a special kind of tree_block called a tree_proc. The tree_proc objects use a slightly different kind of symbol table and include some extra methods but are otherwise the same as the tree_block objects.

• ID Numbers: ID numbers for tree nodes and instructions.
• Other Node Features: Other features shared by all tree nodes.
• Instruction Nodes: Leaf nodes: instructions and expressions.
• If Nodes: Conditionals.
• Loop Nodes: General do-while loops.
• For Nodes: Nicely-structured FOR loops.
• Block Nodes: Nested scopes.
• Procedure Nodes: Root nodes for procedure bodies.

Go to the first, previous, next, last section, table of contents.