A Genetic Algorithm approach towards compiler flag selection based on compilation and execution duration

The evolution of microprocessor technology often leads towards the production of high performance processors and chipsets. In the same token, to harness such capabilities is an art itself. The synthesis of fast executables begins at code design phase up till the compilation process. Even though compilers are at the end position, the right flag would provide substantial performance gain. Given the large choice of flags, often the programmer opts for the simpler method which is to merely dictate the optimization level. The compiler then imposes a set of flags accordingly. There are several shortcomings to this approach. In this work, we are proposing the usage of Genetic Algorithm to determine the flags that could be used to produce code which consumes shorter compilation and execution time.