The current generation of retargetable compilers can easily generate optimal local code incorporating most instructions and all addressing implemented by the target machine architecture. However, these compilers can not utilize the complex instructions found on many CISC target machine architectures. These instructions typically manipulate fields and strings, or implement complex loop control mechanisms. The project will seek to construct a retargetable compiler than can exploit complex instructions when compiling programs written in a high level language in the Algol family. The system will have two pieces. The code generator will be an attributed influenced graph matcher that can match and transform an intermediate representation into a form that is directly matched by a complex instruction. A high level language will be used to specify the actions performed by a complex instruction. The specification will be analyzed and transformed at code generation time into a plan that the code generator uses.
