A Java bytecode optimizer using side-effect analysis

Abstract

This paper describes Cream, an optimizer for Java bytecode using side-effect analysis to improve the optimizations. Dead-code elimination and loop-invariant removal are implemented and tested, as well as several variations of the side-effect analysis. The optimizer is tested on real-world applications such as itself and JavaSoft's Java compiler. Results show that the optimizations benefit well from the side-effect analysis. The best side-effect analysis gives five to ten times as many optimizations as without an analysis, and, in one case, makes a speed increase of 25% possible. ©1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.