Hi everybody!
I have a question for the vectorization experts and would like to ask for some insight please.
I am working on an LLVM-independent library that offers various memory layouts for arrays of plain structs in C++. One of these layouts is an AoSoA (Array of Struct of Arrays). E.g.:
constexpr auto lanes = 8;
struct Block {
float a[lanes];
float b[lanes];
float c[lanes];
};
Single loops that iterate over arrays of this layout fail to vectorize with clang/LLVM (also with recent g++, icc and MSVC).
E.g. adding the vectors of floats a and b into c, where a, b and c are stored in one memory block as AoSoA:
constexpr auto alignment = lanes * sizeof(float);
void aosoa1(Block* ubuf, size_t n) {
auto* buf = std::assume_aligned(ubuf);
for (size_t i = 0; i < (n/lanes)*lanes; i++) {
const auto block = i / lanes;
const auto lane = i % lanes;
buf[block].c[lane] = buf[block].a[lane] + buf[block].b[lane];
}
}
Flags for clang: -std=c++20 -O3 -mavx2 -Rpass-analysis=loop-vectorize -Rpass-missed=loop-vectorize
clang gives me this remark: loop not vectorized: cannot identify array bounds [-Rpass-analysis=loop-vectorize]. I tried browsing through the LLVM source to figure out if I could get it working, but that obviously grew over my head 
With two nested loops, the inner one vectorizes fine:
void aosoa2(Block* ubuf, size_t n) {
auto* buf = std::assume_aligned(ubuf);
for (size_t block = 0; block < n/lanes; block++) {
for (size_t lane = 0; lane < lanes; lane++) {
buf[block].c[lane] = buf[block].a[lane] + buf[block].b[lane];
}
}
}
Full example: https://godbolt.org/z/qdG9aY
Why does clang/LLVM fail to vectorize the loop in aosoa1() which splits the loop index into block and lane index? I think I do not sufficiently understand the “cannot identify array bounds” remark.
Is vectorization theoretically possible for aosoa1()? That is, there is no reason that forbids vectorization.
Is there a workaround for clang, like a #pragma, that can be used to allow clang to vectorize aosoa1()?
Would this use case be important enough that clang/LLVM could at some point recognize such a pattern and successfully vectorize it?
I really appreciate your input here! Thank you very much!
Bernhard