Abstract: A method of executing a stack-based program containing branch instructions using a processor having a register-based architecture, the processor having means for implementing a stack using registers of the processor such that the processor may operate in a stack-based mode as well as a register-based mode, the method comprising the steps of: translating each branch instruction of the stack-based program into a branch instruction of a register-based program and including in the translated instruction an indication that the instruction relates to the stack-based operation mode; examining each translated branch instruction and, if the instruction includes said indication, updating a stack counter of said means for implementing a stack; and executing the branch instruction.

Abstract: A method of executing a stack-based program using a processor having a register-based architecture, the processor having means for simulating a stack using a subset of its registers such that the processor may operate in a simulated stack-based mode as well as a register-based mode. The method comprises the steps of fetching stack-based instructions from a program memory, translating individual stack-based instructions or sequences of stack-based instructions into register-based instructions, and including in at least certain of the translated instructions an indication that these instructions are to be executed using the simulated stack-based mode. Translated instructions, including said indication, are executed using the simulated stack-based mode, and other translated instructions are executed using the register-based mode.