E.2. Repeat Blocks

The gcc assembler provides two varieties of repeat blocks: those with an explicitly specified repetition count and those that are known as indefinite repeat blocks. These capabilities can assist with the formulation of repetitive code segments.

E.2.1. Simple Repeat Blocks

An astute reader may have speculated whether an assembler could provide any aids to automate the repeating pattern of instructions required by the algorithm for the SQUARES program presented in Chapter 1. If we wanted to extend the program toward some much larger total number of squares, would we really have to “copy and paste” with the text editor ad nauseam, or is there some alternative to that?

A repeat block indeed provides an alternative. A sequence of ...

Get Itanium® Architecture for Programmers: Understanding 64-Bit Processors and EPIC Principles now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.