Using a Speculation

To use a speculation, use a clause to pass an identifier that has been returned from speculation() to the speculate() function before any data-recording actions. All data-recording actions in a clause that contains a speculate() are speculatively traced. The D compiler generates a compile-time error if a call to speculate() follows data recording actions in a D probe clause. Clauses can contain either speculative tracing requests or non-speculative tracing requests, but not both.

Aggregating actions, destructive actions, and the exit action may never be speculative. Any attempt to take one of these actions in a clause that contains a speculate() results in a compile-time error. A speculate() function may not follow a previous speculate() function. Only one speculation is permitted per clause. A clause that contains only a speculate() function will speculatively trace the default action, which is defined to trace only the enabled probe ID.

The typical use of the speculation() function is to assign the result of the speculation() function to a thread-local variable. That thread-local variable acts as a subsequent predicate to other probes, as well as an argument to speculate().

Example 4–5 Typical Use of The speculation() Function

syscall::open:entry
{
	self->spec = speculation();
}

syscall:::
/self->spec/
{
	speculate(self->spec);
	printf("this is speculative");
}