Moving from VVT to the L-world value types (LWVT)

Wed Jan 24 16:42:25 UTC 2018

Updated chart after Valhalla’s VM Meeting:

http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~fparain/L-world/ValueObjectMismatch-2.pdf

Fred

> On Jan 24, 2018, at 09:34, Frederic Parain <frederic.parain at oracle.com> wrote:
> 
> I’ve uploaded a quick summary of the potential issues that can be caused
> by a mismatch between the expected and the real nature of a class (object
> class or value class).
> 
> http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~fparain/L-world/ValueObjectMismatch-1.pdf
> 
> If some cases are missing or incorrect, please let me know.
> 
> Fred
> 
> 
>> On Jan 23, 2018, at 19:05, Frederic Parain <frederic.parain at oracle.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Updated JVMS document with a few fixes and the Q-descriptors
>> removed (this removal changed only 3 lines!):
>> 
>> http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~fparain/L-world/L-World-JVMS-2.pdf
>> 
>> No attribute to list value classes has been added yet, so there’s
>> currently some issues for the verification.
>> 
>> Fred
>> 
>>> On Jan 23, 2018, at 16:25, Frederic Parain <frederic.parain at oracle.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi John,
>>> 
>>> thank you for the detailed feedback.
>>> 
>>> The Q-descriptor is not a fundamental part of the proposal, it is just an unsatisfying
>>> way for class files to express their expectations regarding types they think are value
>>> class types (to differentiate them from object class types). Q-descriptors provide this
>>> information but have drawbacks like the signature matching issue.
>>> 
>>> Remi’s proposal is appealing because it avoids the signature matching issue.
>>> An attribute is not the most convenient data structure for the JVM, but we can
>>> record the information elsewhere in our meta-data. However, it seems more
>>> brittle because the attribute can easily omitted, unless we make it mandatory
>>> after a given class file format number, with a slightly different syntax where all
>>> classes named in the class files have to be listed, so it can be verified. For
>>> older class file format, the attribute would be absent and all classes are assumed
>>> to be object classes.
>>> 
>>> We had two brainstorming sessions. yesterday and this morning, trying to figure
>>> out what would be the consequences of having only L-descriptors, with class
>>> files having different assumptions regarding the real nature of a type (object class
>>> or value class), either in the case of VBC migration or simply because of separate
>>> compilation. Some issues are related to the calling/returning conventions for the
>>> JIT compiled code. Some others issues are related to the class loader constraints,
>>> and the fact that a class with the wrong assumption regarding the nature of a class
>>> might prevent the real class from being loaded. The case where a class expects
>>> a Value Based Class (object class type) and the class is in fact a migrated value
>>> class seems to be OK. The case where a class expects a value class, but the
>>> class loader loads an object class seems much more problematic to us.
>>> 
>>> Regarding the migration of value based classes, trying to prevent null references
>>> from leaking into migrated code seems to be a step to far. We reviewed the issue with
>>> Karen this morning, and it doesn’t seems too dangerous to only check for null
>>> when the reference is stored in a field or array expecting an instance of a value
>>> class.
>>> 
>>> Thank you,
>>> 
>>> Fred
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Jan 19, 2018, at 23:22, John Rose <john.r.rose at oracle.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> On Jan 16, 2018, at 12:56 PM, Frederic Parain <frederic.parain at oracle.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Here’s an attempt to bootstrap the L-world exploration, where java.lang.Object
>>>>> is the top type of all value classes (as discussed during the November meetings
>>>>> in Burlington).
>>>> 
>>>> This is excellent work, Frederic; thank you.  I'm really hopeful that we
>>>> are on the right track.
>>>> 
>>>>> ...
>>>>> Here’s a quick summary of the changes with some consequences on the HotSpot code:
>>>>> - all v-bytecodes are removed except vdefault and vwithfield
>>>> 
>>>> At some point we may want to strip the v-prefix from those survivors.  No hurry.
>>>> 
>>>>> - all bytecodes operating on an object receiver are updated to support values as well,
>>>>> except putfield and new
>>>> 
>>>> Yep.
>>>> 
>>>>> - single carrier type for both instances of object classes and instances of value classes
>>>>> - this carrier type maps to the T_OBJECT BasicType
>>>>> - T_VALUETYPE still exists but its usage is limited (same purpose as T_ARRAY)
>>>> 
>>>> T_ARRAY can be a confusing source of bugs.  I've always wondered if it was worth it.
>>>> 
>>>>> - qtos TosState is removed
>>>>> - JNI: the jobject type can be used to carry either a reference to an object or an
>>>>>       array or a value. The type jvaluetype, sub-type of jobject, is used when only
>>>>>       a value class instance is expected
>>>>> - Q…; remains the way to encode value classes in signature (fields and methods)
>>>> 
>>>> I'd like to move towards an ACC_VALUE bit on both fields and classes.
>>>> Again, no hurry, but (as in my previous message) I'd like to retire Q-descriptors.
>>>> 
>>>>> - In the constant pool, the CONSTANT_CLASS_info entry type is used to store a
>>>>> symbolic reference to either an object class or a value class
>>>>> - the ;Q escape sequence is not used anymore in value class names
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> One important point of this exercise is to ensure that the migration of Value Based Classes
>>>>> into Value Classes is possible, and doable with a reasonable complexity and costs. In addition
>>>>> to the JVMS update (and consistent with the JVMS modifications), here’s a set of proposals
>>>>> on how to deal with the VBC migration. 
>>>> 
>>>> I'm glad you are doing this analysis, not only because VBC migration is
>>>> a wonderful goal, but also because I think the same analysis is necessary
>>>> just to manage separate recompilation, even if we never decided to
>>>> migrate a single class.
>>>> 
>>>> In short, I see you are leaning hard on Q-descriptors, but I don't think
>>>> you are getting enough value out of them, and they cause serious
>>>> problems.  More comments below… 
>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Migration of Value Based Classes into Value Classes:
>>>>> - challenges:
>>>>>  - signature mismatch
>>>> 
>>>> Goes away when/if we retire Q-descriptors!
>>>> 
>>>>>  - null
>>>> 
>>>> Can be dealt with by assuming non-null and throwing dynamic NPEs
>>>> as needed where Q types are in play.  Also, we tolerate "polluting nulls"
>>>> along paths where the Q/R distinction is not available, even if (at some
>>>> point later on) we realize that it was a Q all along.  Eventually, the
>>>> polluting null will cause an NPE.
>>>> 
>>>> (In my view, the NPE should happen later than one might prefer if it were
>>>> a true coding error rather than a recompilation artifact.  Catching polluting
>>>> nulls early in the presence of recompilation requires too many heroics.)
>>>> 
>>>>>  - change in behavior
>>>> 
>>>> Yes, that's the tricky part.
>>>> 
>>>>> - proposal for signature mismatch:
>>>>>   - with LWVT, value class types in signatures are using the Q…; format
>>>>>   - legacy code is using signature with L…; format (because VBC are object classes)
>>>>>   - methods will have two signatures:
>>>>>     - true signature, which could include Q…; elements 
>>>>>     - a L-ified signature where all Q…; elements are re-written with the L…; format
>>>>>     - method lookup still works by signature string comparisons
>>>>>     - the signature of the method being looked up will compared against both the
>>>>>       true and the L-ified signatures, if the looked up signature matches the L-ified
>>>>>       signature but not the true signature, it means a situation where legacy code
>>>>>       is trying to invoke migrated code has been detected, and additional work might
>>>>>       be required for the invocation (actions to be taken have to be defined)
>>>>>    - signature mismatch can also occur for fields, this is still being investigating, the
>>>>>      proposal will be updated as soon as we have a solution ready to be published
>>>> 
>>>> This sort of thing is, for me, a rich argument against keeping Q-descriptors.
>>>> 
>>>>> - proposal for null references leaking to migrated code
>>>>>  - having a null reference for a Value Based Class variable or field is valid in legacy code
>>>>>    but it becomes invalid when the Value Based Class has been migrated to a Value Class
>>>>>  - trying to prevent all references with a value class type to get a null value would be very
>>>>>    expensive (it would require to look at the stackmap for each assignment to a local variable)
>>>> 
>>>> Yes.  We have to tolerate polluting nulls where the Q/R distinction is unavailable.
>>>> 
>>>>> -  the proposed solution is to allow null references for local variable and expression stack slots,
>>>>>    but forbid them for fields or array elements (bytecodes operating on fields and array have to
>>>>>    be updated to throw a NPE whenever a null reference is provided instead of a value class
>>>>>    instance)
>>>> 
>>>> Yes, I think this is on the right track.  On paths where a Q-type is needed
>>>> we do a null check.  That's the Java way.
>>>> 
>>>>> - null references are likely to be an issue for JIT optimizations like passing values in registers
>>>>>   when a method is invoked. The proposed solution is to only allow null references for value classes
>>>>>   in legacy code, by detecting them and blocking them when leaking to migrated code. The
>>>>>   detection can be done at invocation time, when a mismatch between the signature expected
>>>>>  by the caller and the real signature of the callee is detected (see signature mismatch proposal above)
>>>> 
>>>> At some point, a polluting null might reach code that "knows" there is a Q type
>>>> (and may even "know" that it goes in an xmm register).  That's the point where
>>>> an NPE should be thrown.  In some cases, a deopt might be appropriate, to
>>>> correctly order the NPE by executing interpreter code.
>>>> 
>>>> Note that this combination of techniques does not Q-descriptors.  The lack
>>>> of Q-descriptors doesn't totally destroy the Q/R distinction; it just means you
>>>> have to execute a little further before you get to code which "knows" that
>>>> the null is illegal.
>>>> 
>>>>> - the null reference should also be detected and blocked when it is used as a return value and the
>>>>>  type of the value to be returned is a value class type 
>>>> 
>>>> Doing this requires (a) Q-descriptors in method returns, (b) Remi's
>>>> ValueTypes table, or (c) toleration of nulls in the interpreter.  (The JIT
>>>> doesn't have to tolerate nulls:  It can deopt if it hits a surprise null,
>>>> or perhaps throw an early NPE.)  So, I am arguing for (c).
>>>> 
>>>>> In addition to the JVMS update, here’s a chart trying to summarize the new checks that will have to
>>>>> be added to existing bytecode when moving the vbytecodes semantic in to a* bytecodes. The categories
>>>>> in the chart are not very precise, but we can use it as a starting point for our discussions. The chart
>>>>> can also help defining which experiments could be done to estimate the costs of the different additional
>>>>> checks needed to be added to existing bytecodes.
>>>> 
>>>> The chart is really helpful, thanks.  More comments later.
>>>> 
>>>> Onward!
>>>> 
>>>> — John
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
> 