COMPILER
CONSTRUCTION
Submitted to: Uzair
Sahib
Submitted By:
Mahar M Ashfaq
Malik M Imran
Ch M Husnain
Ch M Hamza Sajjad
M Huzaifa Mustafa Hanjra
ADDRESSES IN TARGET
CODE
Made By Mahar M Ashfaq
Addresses in Target Code
What is Target Code?
Target code refers to the machine-level code
(or binary code) generated after compiling a
program's source code.
Why are Addresses Important?
In target code, addresses are used to locate
variables, functions, and other data in
memory.
What is an Address
An address is a unique identifier for a
location in memory.
It tells the CPU where to fetch or store
data during program execution.
Types of Addresses:
Logical/Virtual Addresses: These are
the addresses used by the program.
Physical Addresses: These correspond
to actual locations in the computer's
hardware memory.
How Addresses are Assigned
in Target Code
Code Segment: Contains the executable
instructions.
Start Address: The first instruction’s address
in memory.
Offset: The position of an instruction relative
to the start of the code segment.
Data Segment: Contains global and
static variables.
How Addresses are Assigned in
Target Code
Stack: Used for function calls, local
variables, and return addresses.
Heap: Used for dynamic memory
allocation (e.g., malloc in C).
Relocation and Address
Translation
Relocation:
During the compilation process, code is often
not linked to a specific memory address.
Relocation is the process of adjusting
addresses when a program is loaded into
memory.
Relocation and Address
Translation
Linking:
When programs are compiled, external
references are often left as placeholders.
These are resolved at the linking stage to form
the final target code with specific addresses.
Example of Target Code
Addresses
_start:
mov eax, 10 ; address of "eax" in the
register file
add eax, 5 ; address of next
instruction in the
code segment
ret ; address of the return
instruction in
memory
Addressing Modes
Direct Addressing: The instruction
contains the address of the operand.
Indirect Addressing: The instruction
contains a pointer to the address.
Indexed Addressing: An address is
calculated by adding an index value to a
base address.
Importance of Understanding
Target Code Addresses
Debugging:Knowing memory addresses
helps in debugging, especially when
tracking down errors like segmentation
faults.
Optimization:Optimizing code often
involves minimizing memory usage,
which requires understanding how
memory is allocated and addressed.
Importance of Understanding
Target Code Addresses
Security:Understanding memory layout
can help identify vulnerabilities, such as
buffer overflows.
Thank You
