New C++ compiler with inline assembly support

Intel have just released version 9.0 of their C++ compiler with better support for inline assembly. It can compile for the following platforms
- Linux x86 32 bit
- Linux x86 64 bit
- Linux ia64 (Itanium)
- Windows x86 32 bit
- Windows x86 64 bit
- Windows ia64 (Itanium)
I haven't tested it on FreeBSD yet, but I assume that it works on 32 and 64 bit FreeBSD as well.

In Linux, you now have the choice between MASM syntax and AT&T syntax for inline assembly. MASM syntax is almost the same as NASM. If you choose MASM syntax, you can use the same C++ file with inline assembly in both Linux and Windows. It can even translate MASM syntax assembly to AT&T syntax, and this more reliably than any other translation tools I have seen yet.

To use MASM syntax under Linux, simply use the command line option -use-msasm

Example:

int addnumbers (int a, int b) {
return a+b;}

Same with inline assembly in MASM syntax:

int addnumbers (int a, int b) {
__asm {
mov eax, a
add eax, b
}
}

This will work in both Linux and Windows, 32 and 64 bit. So you can use the same C++/asm file on all platforms. It takes care of the differences in calling conventions between the different platforms, and it automatically pushes and pops any non-volatile registers that you use in your code. This makes Linux assembly much easier! You can make the most of your program in C++ and make the critical innermost loop with inline assembly.

In 64-bit Linux, function parameters are transferred in registers rdi, rsi, rdx, rcx, r8, r9, xmm0-xmm7. If you know this, you can optimize the above example:

int addnumbers (int a, int b) {
__asm {
lea eax, [rdi+rsi]
}
}

But then your code is no longer platform independent, of course.

The C++ compiler for Linux is available for free for noncommercial users. Download it from http://www.intel.com/software/products/noncom/
The C++ compiler for Windows is available with a time limited free evaluation license from https://registrationcenter.intel.com/EvalCenter/EvalForm.aspx?ProductID=411

Agner Fog
www.agner.org/assem

great! btw, the FSF released the new GCC 4.0 (recently) with excellent support for inline assembly ... It can compile for the following platforms

- alpha - mips/64
- arm - powerpc/64
- h8/300 - rs6k
- hppa/64 - sparc/64
- ix86 - sh/4/5
- ia64 - s390/x
- m32r - x86_64
- m68k - ...

it works on Linux, *BSD*, Windows, Solaris, ...

best,
Herbert