Range analysis of object-level code

The static analysis of computer programs has a long history as an essential component of optimizing compilers. In the past, almost all compilers performed data flow analysis on an intermediate version of a program, before performing optimizing transformations on the code and finally doing code generation. Recent work has shown the advantages to performing data flow analysis and optimizations at the machine code level. One data flow analysis technique which has wide applicability and yet has received relatively little attention is known as range analysis. It attempts to determine the possible range of values that each variable in a program may take at each location in the program. This dissertation will demonstrate a system for performing range analysis at the object code level.