registerbound
Registerbound is a term used in computer science to describe a condition in which the execution efficiency of a program is limited by the number of available processor registers. In such situations, a large number of live variables must be kept in memory or loaded and stored frequently, rather than residing in fast registers.
Registerbound arises when register pressure—due to long-lived live ranges or many temporaries—exceeds the processor’s physical registers.
Key causes include high register pressure from tight loops, complex expressions, and insufficient register allocation. Spilling
Compiler techniques for reducing registerbound include more effective register allocation (graph coloring or linear scan) and
Registerbound is contrasted with register-rich code, where most values fit in registers. Related concepts include register