<p>Instructions are written out one at a time as distinct units. Each
instruction
record contains at least an <a href="#opcodes">opcode</a> and a type field,
-and may contain a list of operands (whose interpretation depends on the opcode).
-Based on the number of operands, the
+and may contain a <a href="#instoperands">list of operands</a> (whose
+interpretation depends on the opcode). Based on the number of operands, the
<a href="#instencode">instruction is encoded</a> in a
dense format that tries to encoded each instruction into 32-bits if
possible. </p>
</dl>
</div>
+<!-- _______________________________________________________________________ -->
+<div class="doc_subsubsection"><a name="instoperands">Instruction
+Operands</a></div>
+
+<div class="doc_text">
+<p>
+Based on the instruction opcode and type, the bytecode format implicitly (to
+save space) specifies the interpretation of the operand list. For most
+instructions, the type of each operand is implicit from the type of the
+instruction itself (e.g. the type of operands of a binary operator must match
+the type of the instruction). As such, the bytecode format generally only
+encodes the value number of the operand, not the type.</p>
+
+<p>In some cases, however, this is not sufficient. This section enumerates
+those cases:</p>
+
+<ul>
+<li>getelementptr: the slot numbers for sequential type indexes are shifted up
+two bits. This allows the low order bits will encode the type of index used,
+as follows: 0=uint, 1=int, 2=ulong, 3=long.</li>
+<li>cast: the result type number is encoded as the second operand.</li>
+<li>alloca/malloc: If the allocation has an explicit alignment, the log2 of the
+ alignment is encoded as the second operand.</li>
+<li>call: If the tail marker and calling convention cannot be <a
+ href="#pi_note">encoded into the opcode</a> of the call, it is passed as an
+ additional operand. The low bit of the operand is a flag indicating whether
+ the call is a tail call. The rest of the bits contain the calling
+ convention number (shifted left by one bit).</li>
+</ul>
+</div>
<!-- _______________________________________________________________________ -->
<div class="doc_subsubsection"><a name="instencode">Instruction
<tr>
<td><a href="#uint32_vbr">uint32_vbr</a>+</td>
<td class="td_left">The slot number of the value(s) for the operand(s).
- <sup>1</sup></td>
+ </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
-Notes:
-<ol>
- <li>Note that if the instruction is a getelementptr and the type of
-the operand is a sequential type (array or pointer) then the slot
-number is shifted up two bits and the low order bits will encode the
-type of index used, as follows: 0=uint, 1=int, 2=ulong, 3=long.</li>
-</ol>
+
<p><b>Instruction Format 1</b></p>
<p>This format encodes the opcode, type and a single operand into a
single <a href="#uint32_vbr">uint32_vbr</a> as follows:</p>