Subsequent branch-free instructions make up segments of linear code. The first instruction of the program is a leader, as is every target of a branch, and every instruction immediately following a branch (including conditional branches and procedure returns) is a leader. A basic block is the maximum segment of linear code associated with each leader – it ends with either the program’s last instruction or the first branch following a leader. Points exist before and after each statement in a basic block (there are thus a minimum of 2 points per block, and s + 1 for a block with s statements).
