Specifying Attributes of Variables

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5.31 Specifying Attributes of Variables

The keyword __attribute__ allows you to specify specialattributes of variables or structure fields. This keyword is followedby an attribute specification inside double parentheses. Someattributes are currently defined generically for variables. Other attributes are defined for variables on particular targetsystems. Other attributes are available for functions(see Function Attributes) and for types (see Type Attributes). Other front ends might define more attributes(see Extensions to the C++ Language).

You may also specify attributes with `__' preceding and followingeach keyword. This allows you to use them in header files withoutbeing concerned about a possible macro of the same name. For example,you may use __aligned__ instead of aligned.

See Attribute Syntax, for details of the exact syntax for usingattributes.

aligned ( alignment )

This attribute specifies a minimum alignment for the variable orstructure field, measured in bytes. For example, the declaration:

          int x __attribute__ ((aligned (16))) = 0;
     

causes the compiler to allocate the global variable x on a16-byte boundary. On a 68040, this could be used in conjunction withan asm expression to access the move16 instruction whichrequires 16-byte aligned operands.

You can also specify the alignment of structure fields. For example, tocreate a double-word aligned int pair, you could write:

          struct foo { int x[2] __attribute__ ((aligned (8))); };
     

This is an alternative to creating a union with a double memberthat forces the union to be double-word aligned.

As in the preceding examples, you can explicitly specify the alignment(in bytes) that you wish the compiler to use for a given variable orstructure field. Alternatively, you can leave out the alignment factorand just ask the compiler to align a variable or field to the maximumuseful alignment for the target machine you are compiling for. Forexample, you could write:

          short array[3] __attribute__ ((aligned));
     

Whenever you leave out the alignment factor in an aligned attributespecification, the compiler automatically sets the alignment for the declaredvariable or field to the largest alignment which is ever used for any datatype on the target machine you are compiling for. Doing this can often makecopy operations more efficient, because the compiler can use whateverinstructions copy the biggest chunks of memory when performing copies toor from the variables or fields that you have aligned this way.

The aligned attribute can only increase the alignment; but youcan decrease it by specifying packed as well. See below.

Note that the effectiveness of aligned attributes may be limitedby inherent limitations in your linker. On many systems, the linker isonly able to arrange for variables to be aligned up to a certain maximumalignment. (For some linkers, the maximum supported alignment maybe very very small.) If your linker is only able to align variablesup to a maximum of 8 byte alignment, then specifying aligned(16)in an __attribute__ will still only provide you with 8 bytealignment. See your linker documentation for further information.

cleanup ( cleanup_function )

The cleanup attribute runs a function when the variable goesout of scope. This attribute can only be applied to auto functionscope variables; it may not be applied to parameters or variableswith static storage duration. The function must take one parameter,a pointer to a type compatible with the variable. The return valueof the function (if any) is ignored.

If -fexceptions is enabled, then cleanup_functionwill be run during the stack unwinding that happens during theprocessing of the exception. Note that the cleanup attributedoes not allow the exception to be caught, only to perform an action. It is undefined what happens if cleanup_function does notreturn normally.

common nocommon

The common attribute requests GCC to place a variable in“common” storage. The nocommon attribute requests theopposite—to allocate space for it directly.

These attributes override the default chosen by the-fno-common and -fcommon flags respectively.

deprecated

The deprecated attribute results in a warning if the variableis used anywhere in the source file. This is useful when identifyingvariables that are expected to be removed in a future version of aprogram. The warning also includes the location of the declarationof the deprecated variable, to enable users to easily find furtherinformation about why the variable is deprecated, or what they shoulddo instead. Note that the warning only occurs for uses:

          extern int old_var __attribute__ ((deprecated));
          extern int old_var;
          int new_fn () { return old_var; }
     

results in a warning on line 3 but not line 2.

The deprecated attribute can also be used for functions andtypes (see Function Attributes, see Type Attributes.)

mode ( mode )

This attribute specifies the data type for the declaration—whichevertype corresponds to the mode mode. This in effect lets yourequest an integer or floating point type according to its width.

You may also specify a mode of `byte' or `__byte__' toindicate the mode corresponding to a one-byte integer, `word' or`__word__' for the mode of a one-word integer, and `pointer'or `__pointer__' for the mode used to represent pointers.

packed

The packed attribute specifies that a variable or structure fieldshould have the smallest possible alignment—one byte for a variable,and one bit for a field, unless you specify a larger value with the aligned attribute.

Here is a structure in which the field x is packed, so that itimmediately follows a:

          struct foo
          {
            char a;
            int x[2] __attribute__ ((packed));
          };
     

section (" section-name ")

Normally, the compiler places the objects it generates in sections like data and bss. Sometimes, however, you need additional sections,or you need certain particular variables to appear in special sections,for example to map to special hardware. The sectionattribute specifies that a variable (or function) lives in a particularsection. For example, this small program uses several specific section names:

          struct duart a __attribute__ ((section ("DUART_A"))) = { 0 };
          struct duart b __attribute__ ((section ("DUART_B"))) = { 0 };
          char stack[10000] __attribute__ ((section ("STACK"))) = { 0 };
          int init_data __attribute__ ((section ("INITDATA"))) = 0;
          
          main()
          {
            /* Initialize stack pointer */
            init_sp (stack + sizeof (stack));
          
            /* Initialize initialized data */
            memcpy (&init_data, &data, &edata - &data);
          
            /* Turn on the serial ports */
            init_duart (&a);
            init_duart (&b);
          }
     

Use the section attribute with an initialized definitionof a global variable, as shown in the example. GCC issuesa warning and otherwise ignores the section attribute inuninitialized variable declarations.

You may only use the section attribute with a fully initializedglobal definition because of the way linkers work. The linker requireseach object be defined once, with the exception that uninitializedvariables tentatively go in the common (or bss) sectionand can be multiply “defined”. You can force a variable to beinitialized with the -fno-common flag or the nocommonattribute.

Some file formats do not support arbitrary sections so the sectionattribute is not available on all platforms. If you need to map the entire contents of a module to a particularsection, consider using the facilities of the linker instead.

shared

On Microsoft Windows, in addition to putting variable definitions in a namedsection, the section can also be shared among all running copies of anexecutable or DLL. For example, this small program defines shared databy putting it in a named section shared and marking the sectionshareable:

          int foo __attribute__((section ("shared"), shared)) = 0;
          
          int
          main()
          {
            /* Read and write foo.  All running
               copies see the same value.  */
            return 0;
          }
     

You may only use the shared attribute along with sectionattribute with a fully initialized global definition because of the waylinkers work. See section attribute for more information.

The shared attribute is only available on Microsoft Windows.

tls_model (" tls_model ")

The tls_model attribute sets thread-local storage model(see Thread-Local) of a particular __thread variable,overriding -ftls-model= command line switch on a per-variablebasis. The tls_model argument should be one of global-dynamic, local-dynamic, initial-exec or local-exec.

Not all targets support this attribute.

transparent_union

This attribute, attached to a function parameter which is a union, meansthat the corresponding argument may have the type of any union member,but the argument is passed as if its type were that of the first unionmember. For more details see See Type Attributes. You can also usethis attribute on a typedef for a union data type; then itapplies to all function parameters with that type.

unused

This attribute, attached to a variable, means that the variable is meantto be possibly unused. GCC will not produce a warning for thisvariable.

vector_size ( bytes )

This attribute specifies the vector size for the variable, measured inbytes. For example, the declaration:

          int foo __attribute__ ((vector_size (16)));
     

causes the compiler to set the mode for foo, to be 16 bytes,divided into int sized units. Assuming a 32-bit int (a vector of4 units of 4 bytes), the corresponding mode of foo will be V4SI.

This attribute is only applicable to integral and float scalars,although arrays, pointers, and function return values are allowed inconjunction with this construct.

Aggregates with this attribute are invalid, even if they are of the samesize as a corresponding scalar. For example, the declaration:

          struct S { int a; };
          struct S  __attribute__ ((vector_size (16))) foo;
     

is invalid even if the size of the structure is the same as the size ofthe int.

weak

The weak attribute is described in See Function Attributes.

dllimport

The dllimport attribute is described in See Function Attributes.

dlexport

The dllexport attribute is described in See Function Attributes.

5.31.1 M32R/D Variable Attributes

One attribute is currently defined for the M32R/D.

model ( model-name )

Use this attribute on the M32R/D to set the addressability of an object. The identifier model-name is one of small, medium,or large, representing each of the code models.

Small model objects live in the lower 16MB of memory (so that theiraddresses can be loaded with the ld24 instruction).

Medium and large model objects may live anywhere in the 32-bit address space(the compiler will generate seth/add3 instructions to load theiraddresses).

5.31.2 i386 Variable Attributes

Two attributes are currently defined for i386 configurations:ms_struct and gcc_struct

ms_struct gcc_struct

If packed is used on a structure, or if bit-fields are usedit may be that the Microsoft ABI packs them differentlythan GCC would normally pack them. Particularly when moving packeddata between functions compiled with GCC and the native Microsoft compiler(either via function call or as data in a file), it may be necessary to accesseither format.

Currently -m[no-]ms-bitfields is provided for the Microsoft Windows X86compilers to match the native Microsoft compiler.

5.31.3 Xstormy16 Variable Attributes

One attribute is currently defined for xstormy16 configurations:below100

below100

If a variable has the below100 attribute ( BELOW100 isallowed also), GCC will place the variable in the first 0x100 bytes ofmemory and use special opcodes to access it. Such variables will beplaced in either the .bss_below100 section or the .data_below100 section.