Subject: [PATCH v13 2/5] Remove specialized word-length popcount implementations.

From: Nathan Bossart <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:31:20 -0600

The uses of these functions do not justify the level of
micro-optimization we've done and may even hurt performance in some
cases (e.g., due to using function pointers).  This commit removes
all architecture-specific implementations of pg_popcount{32,64}()
and converts the portable ones to inlined functions in
pg_bitutils.h.  These inlined versions should produce the same code
as before (but inlined), so in theory this is a net gain for many
machines.

Suggested-by: John Naylor <[email-masked]>
Reviewed-by: John Naylor <[email-masked]>
Reviewed-by: Greg Burd <[email-masked]>
Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CANWCAZY7R%2Biy%2Br9YM_sySNydHzNqUirx1xk0tB3ej5HO62GdgQ%40mail.gmail.com
---
 src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h | 75 +++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
 src/port/pg_bitutils.c         | 65 +----------------------------
 src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c | 20 +++------
 src/port/pg_popcount_x86.c     | 43 +------------------
 4 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 144 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h b/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
index 20c11b79c61..789663edd93 100644
--- a/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
+++ b/src/include/port/pg_bitutils.h
@@ -276,46 +276,73 @@ pg_ceil_log2_64(uint64 num)
 		return pg_leftmost_one_pos64(num - 1) + 1;
 }
 
-extern int	pg_popcount32_portable(uint32 word);
-extern int	pg_popcount64_portable(uint64 word);
 extern uint64 pg_popcount_portable(const char *buf, int bytes);
 extern uint64 pg_popcount_masked_portable(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
 
-#ifdef HAVE_X86_64_POPCNTQ
+#if defined(HAVE_X86_64_POPCNTQ) || defined(USE_SVE_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK)
 /*
- * Attempt to use SSE4.2 or AVX-512 instructions, but perform a runtime check
+ * Attempt to use specialized CPU instructions, but perform a runtime check
  * first.
  */
-extern PGDLLIMPORT int (*pg_popcount32) (uint32 word);
-extern PGDLLIMPORT int (*pg_popcount64) (uint64 word);
 extern PGDLLIMPORT uint64 (*pg_popcount_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes);
 extern PGDLLIMPORT uint64 (*pg_popcount_masked_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
 
-#elif defined(USE_NEON)
-/* Use the Neon version of pg_popcount{32,64} without function pointer. */
-extern int	pg_popcount32(uint32 word);
-extern int	pg_popcount64(uint64 word);
-
-/*
- * We can try to use an SVE-optimized pg_popcount() on some systems  For that,
- * we do use a function pointer.
- */
-#ifdef USE_SVE_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK
-extern PGDLLIMPORT uint64 (*pg_popcount_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes);
-extern PGDLLIMPORT uint64 (*pg_popcount_masked_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
 #else
+/* Use a portable implementation -- no need for a function pointer. */
 extern uint64 pg_popcount_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes);
 extern uint64 pg_popcount_masked_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
+
 #endif
 
-#else
-/* Use a portable implementation -- no need for a function pointer. */
-extern int	pg_popcount32(uint32 word);
-extern int	pg_popcount64(uint64 word);
-extern uint64 pg_popcount_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes);
-extern uint64 pg_popcount_masked_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
+/*
+ * pg_popcount32
+ *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
+ */
+static inline int
+pg_popcount32(uint32 word)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
+	return __builtin_popcount(word);
+#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+	int			result = 0;
+
+	while (word != 0)
+	{
+		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
+		word >>= 8;
+	}
 
+	return result;
+#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+}
+
+/*
+ * pg_popcount64
+ *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
+ */
+static inline int
+pg_popcount64(uint64 word)
+{
+#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
+#if SIZEOF_LONG == 8
+	return __builtin_popcountl(word);
+#elif SIZEOF_LONG_LONG == 8
+	return __builtin_popcountll(word);
+#else
+#error "cannot find integer of the same size as uint64_t"
 #endif
+#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+	int			result = 0;
+
+	while (word != 0)
+	{
+		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
+		word >>= 8;
+	}
+
+	return result;
+#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
+}
 
 /*
  * Returns the number of 1-bits in buf.
diff --git a/src/port/pg_bitutils.c b/src/port/pg_bitutils.c
index bec06c06fc3..49b130f1306 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_bitutils.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_bitutils.c
@@ -96,56 +96,6 @@ const uint8 pg_number_of_ones[256] = {
 	4, 5, 5, 6, 5, 6, 6, 7, 5, 6, 6, 7, 6, 7, 7, 8
 };
 
-/*
- * pg_popcount32_portable
- *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
- */
-int
-pg_popcount32_portable(uint32 word)
-{
-#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
-	return __builtin_popcount(word);
-#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-	int			result = 0;
-
-	while (word != 0)
-	{
-		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
-		word >>= 8;
-	}
-
-	return result;
-#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-}
-
-/*
- * pg_popcount64_portable
- *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
- */
-int
-pg_popcount64_portable(uint64 word)
-{
-#ifdef HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT
-#if SIZEOF_LONG == 8
-	return __builtin_popcountl(word);
-#elif SIZEOF_LONG_LONG == 8
-	return __builtin_popcountll(word);
-#else
-#error "cannot find integer of the same size as uint64_t"
-#endif
-#else							/* !HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-	int			result = 0;
-
-	while (word != 0)
-	{
-		result += pg_number_of_ones[word & 255];
-		word >>= 8;
-	}
-
-	return result;
-#endif							/* HAVE__BUILTIN_POPCOUNT */
-}
-
 /*
  * pg_popcount_portable
  *		Returns the number of 1-bits in buf
@@ -163,7 +113,7 @@ pg_popcount_portable(const char *buf, int bytes)
 
 		while (bytes >= 8)
 		{
-			popcnt += pg_popcount64_portable(*words++);
+			popcnt += pg_popcount64(*words++);
 			bytes -= 8;
 		}
 
@@ -197,7 +147,7 @@ pg_popcount_masked_portable(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 
 		while (bytes >= 8)
 		{
-			popcnt += pg_popcount64_portable(*words++ & maskv);
+			popcnt += pg_popcount64(*words++ & maskv);
 			bytes -= 8;
 		}
 
@@ -220,17 +170,6 @@ pg_popcount_masked_portable(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
  * actual external functions.  The compiler should be able to inline the
  * portable versions here.
  */
-int
-pg_popcount32(uint32 word)
-{
-	return pg_popcount32_portable(word);
-}
-
-int
-pg_popcount64(uint64 word)
-{
-	return pg_popcount64_portable(word);
-}
 
 /*
  * pg_popcount_optimized
diff --git a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
index ba57f2cd4bd..f474ef45510 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_popcount_aarch64.c
@@ -292,21 +292,11 @@ pg_popcount_masked_optimized(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 #endif							/* ! USE_SVE_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */
 
 /*
- * pg_popcount32
+ * pg_popcount64_neon
  *		Return number of 1 bits in word
  */
-int
-pg_popcount32(uint32 word)
-{
-	return pg_popcount64((uint64) word);
-}
-
-/*
- * pg_popcount64
- *		Return number of 1 bits in word
- */
-int
-pg_popcount64(uint64 word)
+static inline int
+pg_popcount64_neon(uint64 word)
 {
 	/*
 	 * For some compilers, __builtin_popcountl() already emits Neon
@@ -383,7 +373,7 @@ pg_popcount_neon(const char *buf, int bytes)
 	 */
 	for (; bytes >= sizeof(uint64); bytes -= sizeof(uint64))
 	{
-		popcnt += pg_popcount64(*((const uint64 *) buf));
+		popcnt += pg_popcount64_neon(*((const uint64 *) buf));
 		buf += sizeof(uint64);
 	}
 
@@ -465,7 +455,7 @@ pg_popcount_masked_neon(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 	 */
 	for (; bytes >= sizeof(uint64); bytes -= sizeof(uint64))
 	{
-		popcnt += pg_popcount64(*((const uint64 *) buf) & mask64);
+		popcnt += pg_popcount64_neon(*((const uint64 *) buf) & mask64);
 		buf += sizeof(uint64);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/port/pg_popcount_x86.c b/src/port/pg_popcount_x86.c
index 7aebf69898b..6bce089432f 100644
--- a/src/port/pg_popcount_x86.c
+++ b/src/port/pg_popcount_x86.c
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@
  * operation, but in practice this is close enough, and "sse42" seems easier to
  * follow than "popcnt" for these names.
  */
-static inline int pg_popcount32_sse42(uint32 word);
-static inline int pg_popcount64_sse42(uint64 word);
 static uint64 pg_popcount_sse42(const char *buf, int bytes);
 static uint64 pg_popcount_masked_sse42(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
 
@@ -55,12 +53,8 @@ static uint64 pg_popcount_masked_avx512(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
  * what the current CPU supports) and then will call the pointer to fulfill the
  * caller's request.
  */
-static int	pg_popcount32_choose(uint32 word);
-static int	pg_popcount64_choose(uint64 word);
 static uint64 pg_popcount_choose(const char *buf, int bytes);
 static uint64 pg_popcount_masked_choose(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask);
-int			(*pg_popcount32) (uint32 word) = pg_popcount32_choose;
-int			(*pg_popcount64) (uint64 word) = pg_popcount64_choose;
 uint64		(*pg_popcount_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes) = pg_popcount_choose;
 uint64		(*pg_popcount_masked_optimized) (const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask) = pg_popcount_masked_choose;
 
@@ -157,7 +151,7 @@ pg_popcount_avx512_available(void)
 #endif							/* USE_AVX512_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */
 
 /*
- * These functions get called on the first call to pg_popcount32 etc.
+ * These functions get called on the first call to pg_popcount(), etc.
  * They detect whether we can use the asm implementations, and replace
  * the function pointers so that subsequent calls are routed directly to
  * the chosen implementation.
@@ -167,15 +161,11 @@ choose_popcount_functions(void)
 {
 	if (pg_popcount_sse42_available())
 	{
-		pg_popcount32 = pg_popcount32_sse42;
-		pg_popcount64 = pg_popcount64_sse42;
 		pg_popcount_optimized = pg_popcount_sse42;
 		pg_popcount_masked_optimized = pg_popcount_masked_sse42;
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		pg_popcount32 = pg_popcount32_portable;
-		pg_popcount64 = pg_popcount64_portable;
 		pg_popcount_optimized = pg_popcount_portable;
 		pg_popcount_masked_optimized = pg_popcount_masked_portable;
 	}
@@ -189,20 +179,6 @@ choose_popcount_functions(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-static int
-pg_popcount32_choose(uint32 word)
-{
-	choose_popcount_functions();
-	return pg_popcount32(word);
-}
-
-static int
-pg_popcount64_choose(uint64 word)
-{
-	choose_popcount_functions();
-	return pg_popcount64(word);
-}
-
 static uint64
 pg_popcount_choose(const char *buf, int bytes)
 {
@@ -338,23 +314,6 @@ pg_popcount_masked_avx512(const char *buf, int bytes, bits8 mask)
 
 #endif							/* USE_AVX512_POPCNT_WITH_RUNTIME_CHECK */
 
-/*
- * pg_popcount32_sse42
- *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
- */
-static inline int
-pg_popcount32_sse42(uint32 word)
-{
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-	return __popcnt(word);
-#else
-	uint32		res;
-
-__asm__ __volatile__(" popcntl %1,%0\n":"=q"(res):"rm"(word):"cc");
-	return (int) res;
-#endif
-}
-
 /*
  * pg_popcount64_sse42
  *		Return the number of 1 bits set in word
-- 
2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)

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	filename=v13-0003-Remove-uses-of-popcount-builtins.patch