The C++ FE now creates memcpy for class copies to avoid copying objects in tail-padding.
struct Foo { Foo() {}; int i; short f; }; struct Bar : public Foo { Bar() {}; short b; }; extern "C" void abort(void); int main() { Bar b1, b2; b2.i = 0; b1.f = 0; b1.b = 1; b2.f = 1; b2.b = 2; static_cast<Foo&>(b1) = static_cast<Foo&>(b2); if (b1.i != 0 || b1.b != 1) abort (); if (b1.f != 1) abort (); return 0; } The alias-oracle does consider the memcpy to clobber b1.b and the look-through doesn't find b1.f or b1.i either. Note that with combining the tests like if (b1.i != 0 || b1.b != 1 || b1.f != 1) abort (); fold creates a BIT_FIELD_REF covering both b and f which confuses us even more. But I have considered this a bad habit of fold earlier. -- Summary: VN doesn't look through non-aliasing by offset memcpy Product: gcc Version: 4.5.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Keywords: missed-optimization, alias Severity: enhancement Priority: P3 Component: tree-optimization AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: rguenth at gcc dot gnu dot org http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=41186