Introducing the WebKit FTL JIT
This post describes a new advancement in JavaScript optimization: the WebKit project has unified its existing JavaScript compilation infrastructure with the state-of-the-art LLVM optimizer. This will allow JavaScript programs to leverage sophisticated optimizations that were previously only available to native applications written in languages like C++ or Objective-C.
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As we worked to improve WebKit’s optimizing compiler, we found that we were increasingly duplicating logic that would already be found in traditional ahead-of-time (AOT) compilers. Rather than continue replicating decades of compiler know-how, we instead investigated unifying WebKit’s compiler infrastructure with LLVM – an existing low-level compiler infrastructure. As of r167958, this project is no longer an investigation. I’m happy to report that our LLVM-based just-in-time (JIT) compiler, dubbed the FTL – short for Fourth Tier LLVM – has been enabled by default on the Mac and iOS ports.
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The WebKit FTL JIT is the first major project to use the LLVM JIT infrastructure for profile-directed compilation of a dynamic language. To make this work, we needed to make some big changes – in WebKit and LLVM. LLVM needs significantly more time to compile code compared to our existing JITs. WebKit uses a sophisticated generational garbage collector, but LLVM does not support intrusive GC algorithms. Profile-driven compilation implies that we might invoke an optimizing compiler while the function is running and we may want to transfer the function’s execution into optimized code in the middle of a loop; to our knowledge the FTL is the first compiler to do on-stack-replacement for hot-loop transfer into LLVM-compiled code.
Unfortunately, it sounds like these optimizations—like those in Nitro—will not be available to third-party iOS apps.
Update (2014-07-17): Andrew Trick:
FTL makes it clear that LLVM can be used to accelerate a dynamically type checked languages in a competitive production environment. This in itself is a tremendous success story and shows the advantage of the highly modular and flexible design of LLVM. It is the first time that the LLVM infrastructure has supported self-modifying code, and the first time profile guided information has been used inside the LLVM JIT. Even though this project pioneered new territory for LLVM, it was in no way an academic exercise. To be successful, FTL must perform at least as well as non-FTL JavaScript engines in use today across a range of workloads without compromising reliability. This post describes the technical aspects of that accomplishment that relate to LLVM and future opportunities for LLVM to improve JIT compilation and the LLVM infrastructure overall.
[...] glad to have been wrong about FTL JIT. I still think it’s offensive that Apple prohibits development of alternative Web rendering [...]