Writing a BF Compiler for .net (Part 7: The ret instruction)
Yesterday I have concluded the .net BF series with the explanation and code of the .net BF Compiler. But there was one thing that is important and that was unclear in the post: The ret instruction.
Remember how the compiler emits a ret instruction at the end of the constructor and Execute method? I said it's optional and only required for verifiable code. Well, I've asked on StackOverflow in the meantime and got the answer I was looking for:
Control is not permitted to simply “fall through” the end of a method. All paths shall terminate with one of these instructions: ret, throw, jmp, or (tail. followed by call, calli, or callvirt).
(ECMA-335; 12.4, 6)
So, there you have it: Make sure each method ends with one of the above instructions.
Great series on .NET, thanks. BF is a particularly interesting topic, since it's so simple.