python / python/cpython

pypy-style constant promotion to pool

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interpreter-core topic-JIT type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Proposal:

We should have a JIT constant pool and a JIT directive in the optimizer_bytecodes.c to promote certain values to constants. This would unlock significantly more future optimizations.

Steps needed:

  1. Add a constant pool to the executor object, so we can keep promoted constant alive. We already need this to unlock more constant propagation opportunities. The pool would be a PyListObject living in the vmdata field here https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/main/Include/internal/pycore_optimizer.h#L43 .
  2. Introduce a new optimizer macro: PROMOTE_TO_CONST_POOL and associated function promote_to_const_pool(ctx, obj) in optimizer_symbols.c. This macro will store any value it receives as a constant in the constant pool. This allows us to promote contants we see to the constant pool. This takes inspiration from RPython's hint(obj, promote=True)

What optimizations does this unlock?

  1. More constant propagation: we can now constant propagate not just immortal stuff but non-immortal things as well.
  2. Refcount removal. Anything in the the pool can use the cheaper _LOAD_CONST_INLINE_BORROW . Which will automatically benefit this work https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/134584 and vice versa. Ie, we automatically make it cheaper to load and store these values!
  3. On GIL/FT, we can promote method objects to the pool as well, which will allow us to perform more optimizations on them, such as LOAD_ATTR_METHOD folding.

We should also perhaps explore promoting globals to pool constants. Though that's a little risky, since we don't want to hold large objects around longer than needed.

The first PR should implement the first two steps and optimization 1. Optimization 2 should be a separate PR.

Linked PRs
  • gh-140968

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with Include/internal/pycore_optimizer.h and the executor's vmdata field, then inspect optimizer_bytecodes.c and optimizer_symbols.c. The first PR is complete when the executor has a PyListObject constant pool, PROMOTE_TO_CONST_POOL and promote_to_const_pool exist, and non-immortal values receive constant propagation; refcount removal is explicitly separate.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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