Is there a coding convention to MIPS?

Question

I would like to get linked with a C compiler.

• What is the convention to pass values to function using MIPS?
• Is there a coding convention or RFC-Like document?

Answer 1

There is no correct way, with assembly language you can do whatever you want.

But if you are trying to link with a C compiler for example then, why dont you just try using the compiler you have? It obviously can create objects that link with other objects made by the same compiler.

extern unsigned int more_fun ( unsigned int a, unsigned int b );
unsigned int fun ( unsigned int a, unsigned int b )
{
    unsigned int c;
    c = more_fun(a,b+7);
    return(c+a+5);
}

this is what mine produces (with certain flags), object not linked...

00000000 <fun>:
   0:   27bdffe8    addiu   sp,sp,-24
   4:   24a50007    addiu   a1,a1,7
   8:   afbf0014    sw  ra,20(sp)
   c:   afb00010    sw  s0,16(sp)
  10:   0c000000    jal 0 <fun>
  14:   00808025    move    s0,a0
  18:   8fbf0014    lw  ra,20(sp)
  1c:   26100005    addiu   s0,s0,5
  20:   02021021    addu    v0,s0,v0
  24:   8fb00010    lw  s0,16(sp)
  28:   03e00008    jr  ra
  2c:   27bd0018    addiu   sp,sp,24

I think that spells it out, and gives you a way to figure it out for more complicated parameters or return values. I prefer to compile and disassemble to compile to assembly. Much easier to read and actually see what is produced. YMMV.