Knowra Calling convention Calling convention A calling convention is a set of rules governing how software functions pass arguments, return values, use registers, and manage the call stack. It lets separately compiled code agree on how to call and return from functions.
Application binary interface : A platform’s rules for how compiled software interacts, including calling conventions, data layout, and linking. A calling convention is one part of the broader contract an ABI defines.
Processor register : A small, fast storage location built into a processor and used during instruction execution. Registers are the scarce resources that conventions divide between caller and callee.
x86 calling conventions : The family of function-call rules used by software targeting x86 processors. The x86 family includes several conventions with different argument and register rules.
Foreign function interface : A mechanism that lets programs written in different languages call one another’s functions. An FFI must translate or match calling conventions at language boundaries.
Call stack : A runtime structure that tracks active function calls, their local data, and return locations. Conventions specify how callers and callees use stack space during calls.
Instruction set architecture : The specification of machine instructions, registers, and behavior visible to software. The available registers and instructions constrain each platform’s calling conventions.
System V AMD64 ABI : The Unix-like operating-system ABI for 64-bit x86 processors. Its convention contrasts with Microsoft’s rules for the same processor architecture.
Dynamic linking : A process in which a program loads shared code during startup or execution. Dynamically linked functions must agree on the platform’s binary calling rules.
Stack frame : The portion of a call stack associated with one function invocation. Its layout may hold arguments, saved registers, local variables, and return information.
Function call : An operation that transfers execution to a function and later resumes at the calling location. Calling conventions standardize the machine-level details behind this operation.
Show all 21