Check out the new USENIX Web site. next up previous
Next: Sparc Function Calls Up: Architectural Issues Previous: Architectural Issues

Conventional Function Calls

Four bulk operations are performed to call a function in a conventional architecture. The function's parameters are saved onto the stack. The caller's registers are also saved onto the stack to prevent corruption by the callee. The instruction address is saved for the called function to return back to once it is finished. And only then can execution be transfered to the function.

Once the function completes its task, it jumps back to the return address saved on the stack.



2001-05-12