Abstract: An approach to region selection which extends beyond traces and selects super-regions. A super-region (SR) contains arbitrary control flow, such as interprocedural nested loops, that provides a larger scope for transformation (e.g. optimization) than traces. Hardware samples are used to identify SRs that contain the hot code of a client process without requiring any static program information.

Abstract: An approach to region selection which extends beyond traces and selects super-regions. A super-region (SR) contains arbitrary control flow, such as interprocedural nested loops, that provides a larger scope for transformation (e.g. optimization) than traces. Hardware samples are used to identify SRs that contain the hot code of a client process without requiring any static program information.

Abstract: According to the invention, optimization of an application by elimination of redundant operand conversions is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the optimization comprises receiving an application that includes one or more operations, with one or more operands of the operations being converted from a first format to a second format before performing an operation; determining the origin of the one or more operands that are converted from the first format to the second format; and if the origin of any of the one or more operands that are converted from the first format to a second format is a conversion from the second format to the first format, then eliminating the redundant conversion from the second format to the first format and from the first format to the second format.

Abstract: A universal display keyboard can include a plurality of keys whose identifying indicia can be altered via electronically-alterable displays associated with the keys. In one embodiment, indicia associated with character and function keys can be controlled by the currently active application of an electronic device external to the keyboard. The keyboard can also include a plurality of user-operable mode-changing keys or elements to select state changes for the plurality of character and function keys. The keyboard can optionally include one or more built-in display windows to show the user helpful information about the keys or to provide application menu information. Various methods, as well as application of the keyboard to a keyboard system and to a data processing system, are also described.

Abstract: A cache flush controller, and an associated method, selectably flushes a memory cache of a data processor. The cache flush controller operates at a memory bus level of the data processor and operates to flush a selected line, or lines of the memory cache by writing arbitrary, selected values to the selected line or lines of the memory cache.

Abstract: According to the invention, optimization of an application by elimination of redundant operand conversions is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the optimization comprises receiving an application that includes one or more operations, with one or more operands of the operations being converted from a first format to a second format before performing an operation; determining the origin of the one or more operands that are converted from the first format to the second format; and if the origin of any of the one or more operands that are converted from the first format to a second format is a conversion from the second format to the first format, then eliminating the redundant conversion from the second format to the first format and from the first format to the second format.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for performing cross profile guided optimization of program execution. According to one embodiment, optimization of the execution of an application program is achieved by receiving the application program; compiling the application program into a first compiled version for execution by a first processor; executing the first compiled version using the first processor; capturing profile data during the execution of the first compiled version; and compiling the application program into a second compiled version for execution by a second processor, including optimization based at least in part on the captured profile data.

Abstract: A cache flush controller, and an associated method, selectably flushes a memory cache of a data processor. The cache flush controller operates at a memory bus level of the data processor and operates to flush a selected line, or lines of the memory cache by writing arbitrary, selected values to the selected line or lines of the memory cache.

Abstract: An improved form for making ribbon bows provided with large flexible star points, the improvement comprising small star points alternately spaced between the larger star points.