Default to debug builds and remove --opt

We now (once again) default to debug builds instead of release builds,
as slow release builds during development are annoying. In addition, the
--opt flag is removed in favour of a --release flag as there was no
practical/meaningful difference between --opt=balanced and
--opt=aggressive.

I experimented with printing a warning when building a debug build, but
ultimately found this too annoying. In addition, the output being
located in ./build/debug should be enough of a hint that the output is a
debug (aka slow) build.

This fixes #825.

Changelog: changed

Author: yorickpeterse

.github/workflows/tests.yml

@@ -89,15 +89,15 @@ jobs:
   std-linux:
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        level:
-          - none
-          - balanced
+        flags:
+          - ''
+          - '--release'
         target:
           - image: fedora-amd64
             name: amd64-linux-gnu
           - image: alpine
             name: amd64-linux-musl
-    name: ${{ matrix.target.name }} std --opt=${{ matrix.level }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.target.name }} std ${{ matrix.flags }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     container:
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ jobs:
           path: '${{ env.CARGO_HOME }}'
           key: ${{ matrix.target.name }}-${{ hashFiles('Cargo.lock', 'rust-toolchain.toml') }}
       - name: Run tests
-        run: 'cd std && cargo run -- test --opt=${{ matrix.level }}'
+        run: 'cd std && cargo run -- test ${{ matrix.flags }}'
 
   compiler-mac:
     strategy:
@@ -140,15 +140,15 @@ jobs:
   std-mac:
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        level:
-          - none
-          - balanced
+        flags:
+          - ''
+          - '--release'
         target:
           - runner: macos-13
             name: amd64-mac-native
           - runner: macos-14
             name: arm64-mac-native
-    name: ${{ matrix.target.name }} std --opt=${{ matrix.level }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.target.name }} std ${{ matrix.flags }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.target.runner }}
     env:
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: ./ci/mac.sh
       - name: Run tests
-        run: 'cd std && cargo run -- test --opt=${{ matrix.level }}'
+        run: 'cd std && cargo run -- test ${{ matrix.flags }}'
 
   compiler-freebsd:
     name: amd64-freebsd-native compiler

compiler/src/compiler.rs

@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ LLVM module timings:
 
         // These passes are optional and thus only enabled if optimizations are
         // enabled.
-        if !matches!(self.state.config.opt, Opt::None) {
+        if !matches!(self.state.config.opt, Opt::Debug) {
             measure(&mut self.timings.optimize.inline, || {
                 InlineMethod::run_all(&mut self.state, mir);
             });

compiler/src/config.rs

@@ -91,12 +91,7 @@ impl BuildDirectories {
             config.build.join(config.target.to_string())
         };
 
-        let build = config
-            .opt
-            .directory_name()
-            .map(|p| root.join(p))
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| root.clone());
-
+        let build = root.join(config.opt.directory_name());
         let objects = build.join("objects");
         let llvm_ir = build.join("llvm");
         let dot = build.join("dot");
@@ -141,24 +136,15 @@ impl BuildDirectories {
 /// A type describing to what degree a program should be optimised.
 #[derive(Copy, Clone)]
 pub enum Opt {
-    /// No optimisations are applied.
-    None,
-
-    /// A decent number of optimisations is applied, providing a good balance
-    /// between runtime performance and compile times.
-    Balanced,
-
-    /// An aggressive number of optimisations is applied, favouring runtime
-    /// performance over compile times.
-    Aggressive,
+    Debug,
+    Release,
 }
 
 impl Opt {
-    pub(crate) fn directory_name(self) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    pub(crate) fn directory_name(self) -> &'static str {
         match self {
-            Opt::None => Some("none"),
-            Opt::Balanced => None,
-            Opt::Aggressive => Some("aggressive"),
+            Opt::Debug => "debug",
+            Opt::Release => "release",
         }
     }
 }
@@ -313,7 +299,7 @@ impl Config {
             init_module: ModuleName::std_init(),
             output: Output::Derive,
             target: Target::native(),
-            opt: Opt::Balanced,
+            opt: Opt::Debug,
             dot: false,
             verify_llvm: false,
             write_llvm: false,
@@ -357,22 +343,6 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn set_opt(&mut self, name: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
-        self.opt = match name {
-            "none" => Opt::None,
-            "balanced" => Opt::Balanced,
-            "aggressive" => Opt::Aggressive,
-            _ => {
-                return Err(format!(
-                    "The optimisation level '{}' isn't supported",
-                    name
-                ))
-            }
-        };
-
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
     pub(crate) fn main_source_module(&self) -> PathBuf {
         let mut main_file = self.source.join(MAIN_MODULE);
 

compiler/src/llvm/opt.rs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 //! to OpenMP) removed.
 //!
 //! For more details, refer to https://github.com/inko-lang/inko/issues/595.
-pub(crate) const BALANCED: &str = "\
+pub(crate) const RELEASE: &str = "\
     inferattrs,\
     function<eager-inv>(\
       lower-expect,\
@@ -107,109 +107,3 @@ pub(crate) const BALANCED: &str = "\
     function(annotation-remarks),\
     verify\
 ";
-
-pub(crate) const AGGRESSIVE: &str = "\
-    inferattrs,\
-    function<eager-inv>(\
-      lower-expect,\
-      simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;no-switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-      sroa<modify-cfg>,\
-      early-cse\
-    ),\
-    ipsccp,\
-    called-value-propagation,\
-    globalopt,\
-    function<eager-inv>(\
-      mem2reg,\
-      instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-      simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>\
-    ),\
-    require<globals-aa>,\
-    function(invalidate<aa>),\
-    cgscc(\
-      devirt<4>(\
-        inline<only-mandatory>,\
-        inline,\
-        function-attrs<skip-non-recursive>,\
-        function<eager-inv;no-rerun>(\
-          sroa<modify-cfg>,\
-          early-cse<memssa>,\
-          speculative-execution,\
-          jump-threading,\
-          correlated-propagation,\
-          simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-          instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-          aggressive-instcombine,\
-          constraint-elimination,\
-          libcalls-shrinkwrap,\
-          tailcallelim,\
-          simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-          reassociate,\
-          loop-mssa(\
-            loop-instsimplify,\
-            loop-simplifycfg,\
-            licm<no-allowspeculation>,\
-            loop-rotate<header-duplication;no-prepare-for-lto>,\
-            licm<allowspeculation>,\
-            simple-loop-unswitch<no-nontrivial;trivial>\
-          ),\
-          simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-          instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-          loop(loop-idiom,indvars,loop-deletion,loop-unroll-full),\
-          sroa<modify-cfg>,\
-          vector-combine,\
-          mldst-motion<no-split-footer-bb>,\
-          gvn,\
-          sccp,\
-          bdce,\
-          instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-          jump-threading,\
-          correlated-propagation,\
-          adce,\
-          memcpyopt,\
-          dse,\
-          move-auto-init,\
-          loop-mssa(licm<allowspeculation>),\
-          simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;hoist-common-insts;sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-          instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>\
-        ),\
-        function-attrs,\
-        function(require<should-not-run-function-passes>)\
-      )\
-    ),\
-    deadargelim,\
-    globalopt,\
-    globaldce,\
-    elim-avail-extern,\
-    rpo-function-attrs,\
-    recompute-globalsaa,\
-    function<eager-inv>(\
-      float2int,\
-      lower-constant-intrinsics,\
-      loop(loop-rotate<header-duplication;no-prepare-for-lto>,loop-deletion),\
-      loop-distribute,\
-      inject-tli-mappings,\
-      loop-vectorize<no-interleave-forced-only;no-vectorize-forced-only;>,\
-      loop-load-elim,\
-      instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-      simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;switch-to-lookup;no-keep-loops;hoist-common-insts;sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>,\
-      slp-vectorizer,\
-      vector-combine,\
-      instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-      loop-unroll<O2>,\
-      sroa<preserve-cfg>,\
-      instcombine<max-iterations=2;no-use-loop-info>,\
-      loop-mssa(licm<allowspeculation>),\
-      alignment-from-assumptions,\
-      loop-sink,\
-      instsimplify,\
-      div-rem-pairs,\
-      tailcallelim,\
-      simplifycfg<bonus-inst-threshold=1;no-forward-switch-cond;switch-range-to-icmp;no-switch-to-lookup;keep-loops;no-hoist-common-insts;no-sink-common-insts;speculate-blocks;simplify-cond-branch>\
-    ),\
-    globaldce,\
-    constmerge,\
-    rel-lookup-table-converter,\
-    function(annotation-remarks),\
-    verify\
-";

compiler/src/llvm/passes.rs

@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ pub(crate) fn lower_all(
     // (https://github.com/swiftlang/swift/blob/09d122af7c08e1a6e7fe76f122ddab05b0bbda59/lib/IRGen/IRGen.cpp#L929-L931),
     // so we'll assume this is good enough.
     let level = match state.config.opt {
-        Opt::None => OptimizationLevel::None,
+        Opt::Debug => OptimizationLevel::None,
         _ => OptimizationLevel::Default,
     };
 
@@ -551,8 +551,7 @@ impl<'a> Worker<'a> {
         // issues similar to https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/issues/81128)
         let mut passes = ["function(mem2reg)"].join(",");
         let extra = match self.shared.state.config.opt {
-            Opt::Balanced => Some(opt::BALANCED),
-            Opt::Aggressive => Some(opt::AGGRESSIVE),
+            Opt::Release => Some(opt::RELEASE),
             _ => None,
         };
 

docs/source/references/cli.md

@@ -35,24 +35,15 @@ using the `inko build` command:
 inko build hello.inko
 ```
 
-The resulting executable is located at `./build/hello`. By default the compiler
-uses a set of optimizations similar to the optimizations enabled by using `clang
--O2`. You can either disable optimisations entirely, or enable more aggressive
-optimisations at the cost of compile times increasing:
+The resulting executable is located at `./build/debug/hello`. By default no
+optimizations are applied. To enable optimizations, use the `--release` flag:
 
 ```bash
-inko build --opt none hello.inko       # No optimisations
-inko build --opt aggressive hello.inko # Aggressive optimisations
+inko build --release hello.inko
 ```
 
-For `--opt none` the executable is placed in `./build/none/hello`, and
-`./build/aggressive/hello` for `--opt aggressive`.
-
-::: tip
-In most cases `--opt=aggressive` won't make a difference in runtime performance,
-as the differences in optimizations between `balanced` and `aggressive` are
-minor. This may change in the future.
-:::
+When using the `--release` flag, the executable is located at
+`./build/release/hello`.
 
 You can specify an alternative output path using the `-o` option:
 

inko/src/command/build.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::options::print_usage;
 use compiler::compiler::{CompileError, Compiler};
-use compiler::config::{Config, Linker, Output};
+use compiler::config::{Config, Linker, Opt, Output};
 use getopts::Options;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use types::module_name::ModuleName;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
         "A directory to add to the list of source directories",
         "PATH",
     );
-    options.optopt("", "opt", "The optimization level to use", "LEVEL");
+    options.optflag("", "release", "Perform a release build");
     options.optflag("", "static", "Statically link imported C libraries");
     options.optflag("", "dot", "Output the MIR of every module as DOT files");
     options.optflag("", "verify-llvm", "Verify LLVM IR when generating code");
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
         config.set_target(&val)?;
     }
 
-    if let Some(val) = matches.opt_str("opt") {
-        config.set_opt(&val)?;
+    if matches.opt_present("release") {
+        config.opt = Opt::Release;
     }
 
     if matches.opt_present("dot") {

inko/src/command/run.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::options::print_usage;
 use compiler::compiler::{CompileError, Compiler};
-use compiler::config::Config;
+use compiler::config::{Config, Opt};
 use getopts::{Options, ParsingStyle};
 use std::env::temp_dir;
 use std::fs::{create_dir, remove_dir_all};
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
     let mut options = Options::new();
 
     options.parsing_style(ParsingStyle::StopAtFirstFree);
+    options.optflag("", "release", "Perform a release build");
     options.optflag("h", "help", "Show this help message");
     options.optopt(
         "f",
@@ -71,7 +72,6 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
     );
 
     options.optflag("", "static", "Statically link imported C libraries");
-    options.optopt("", "opt", "The optimization level to use", "LEVEL");
     options.optopt(
         "",
         "directory",
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
         config.static_linking = true;
     }
 
-    if let Some(val) = matches.opt_str("opt") {
-        config.set_opt(&val)?;
+    if matches.opt_present("release") {
+        config.opt = Opt::Release;
     }
 
     let dir_name = matches

inko/src/command/test.rs

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
         "The target platform to compile for",
         "TARGET",
     );
-    options.optopt("", "opt", "The optimization level to use", "LEVEL");
+    options.optflag("", "release", "Perform a release build");
 
     let matches = options.parse(arguments)?;
 
@@ -45,10 +45,8 @@ pub(crate) fn run(arguments: &[String]) -> Result<i32, Error> {
         config.set_target(&val)?;
     }
 
-    if let Some(val) = matches.opt_str("opt") {
-        config.set_opt(&val)?;
-    } else {
-        config.opt = Opt::None;
+    if matches.opt_present("release") {
+        config.opt = Opt::Release;
     }
 
     let main_file = config.main_test_module();