[MLton] x86_64 port status

skaller skaller@users.sourceforge.net
Thu, 11 May 2006 15:18:34 +1000


On Wed, 2006-05-10 at 23:06 -0400, Matthew Fluet wrote:

> So, for efficient datatype representations, we need at least 2-byte 
> alignment.  In practice, machines seem happier with 4-byte alignment, so 
> we minimally align at 4-bytes.

Right. In effect this is a classic 'cell', right?

Why fix it to 4 byte alignment? Given some sum type,
any binary power should be handled. There is a minimum
value for n determined by hardware, other than that
you could chose n=8 (256 byte alignment). Maybe waste
space on the heap, but save it on sum types.

Why not just make this an adjustable parameter?

-- 
John Skaller <skaller at users dot sf dot net>
Felix, successor to C++: http://felix.sf.net