Next: VAX-operands, Previous: VAX-opcodes, Up: Vax-Dependent

#### 9.34.5 VAX Branch Improvement

Certain pseudo opcodes are permitted. They are for branch instructions. They expand to the shortest branch instruction that reaches the target. Generally these mnemonics are made by substituting j for b at the start of a DEC mnemonic. This feature is included both for compatibility and to help compilers. If you do not need this feature, avoid these opcodes. Here are the mnemonics, and the code they can expand into.

`jbsb`
  Jsb is already an instruction mnemonic, so we chose jbsb.
  (byte displacement)
    `bsbb ...`
  (word displacement)
    `bsbw ...`
  (long displacement)
    `jsb ...`
`jbr`
`jr`
  Unconditional branch.
  (byte displacement)
    `brb ...`
  (word displacement)
    `brw ...`
  (long displacement)
    `jmp ...`
`j` COND
  COND may be any one of the conditional branches `neq`, `nequ`, `eql`, `eqlu`, `gtr`, `geq`, `lss`, `gtru`, `lequ`, `vc`, `vs`, `gequ`, `cc`, `lssu`, `cs`. COND may also be one of the bit tests `bs`, `bc`, `bss`, `bcs`, `bsc`, `bcc`, `bssi`, `bcci`, `lbs`, `lbc`. NOTCOND is the opposite condition to COND.
  (byte displacement)
    `b` COND`...`
  (word displacement)
    `b` NOTCOND `foo ; brw ... ; foo:`
  (long displacement)
    `b` NOTCOND `foo ; jmp ... ; foo:`
`jacb` X
  X may be one of `b d f g h l w`.
  (word displacement)
    OPCODE`...`
  (long displacement)

                       OPCODE ..., foo ;
                       brb bar ;
                       foo: jmp ... ;
                       bar:

`jaob` YYY
  YYY may be one of `lss leq`.
`jsob` ZZZ
  ZZZ may be one of `geq gtr`.
  (byte displacement)
    OPCODE`...`
  (word displacement)

                       OPCODE ..., foo ;
                       brb bar ;
                       foo: brw destination ;
                       bar:

  (long displacement)

                       OPCODE ..., foo ;
                       brb bar ;
                       foo: jmp destination ;
                       bar:

`aobleq`
`aoblss`
`sobgeq`
`sobgtr`
  (byte displacement)
    OPCODE`...`
  (word displacement)

                       OPCODE ..., foo ;
                       brb bar ;
                       foo: brw destination ;
                       bar:

  (long displacement)

                       OPCODE ..., foo ;
                       brb bar ;
                       foo: jmp destination ;
                       bar: