Dear Thomas... > // Test the value > 80483ca: 83 f8 02 cmp $0x2,%eax > // > -------------------------------------------------------- // > If 'a' equal to 2 (which is unlikely), then jump, // > otherwise continue directly, without jump, so that it // > doesn't flush the pipeline. > // > -------------------------------------------------------- 80483cd: > 74 12 je 80483e1 <main+0x31> 80483cf: > 48 dec %eax Pardon me, just trying to clear my own confusion. So, the key here, the code path, which is taken when the "likely()" test return TRUE, is placed right below the "jump" test so the CPU doesn't get punished by wrong branch prediction and therefore save a couple of CPU cycle eaten by code prefetch...CMIIW regards Mulyadi -- Kernelnewbies: Help each other learn about the Linux kernel. Archive: http://mail.nl.linux.org/kernelnewbies/ FAQ: http://kernelnewbies.org/faq/
