other apps that assemble code

[Richard Stallman]

    The mips uopt pass did many of the same optimizations at the assembler
    level that GCC does a couple of levels up.  It did flow analysis,
    constant propogation, branch prediction and all sort os wild and crazy
    things.  The "optimization" in GAS is far less ambitious.

I made a basic design decision long ago not to try to do anything like
this.  The reason is that it involves pushing most of the compiler and
linker down into the assembler.  That contorts the design and makes a
lot of extra work, and it just isn't worth that much trouble.