Epilog

It is OK if the return value is already in $v0 when the epilog is reached. Here is the complete subroutine:

## maxInt -- compute the maximum of two integer arguments
##
## Input:
## $a0 -- a signed integer
## $a1 -- a signed integer
##
## Returns:
## $v0 -- maximum

         .text
         .globl maxInt

maxInt:
          # body
          move   $v0,$a0          # max = $a0
          bgt    $a0,$a1,endif    # if $a1 > $a0  
          nop
          move   $v0,$a1          #    max = $a1
endif:                            # endif 
          # epilog
          jr     $ra              # return to caller
          nop

This subroutine could be put in its own file, perhaps maxInt.asm, and separately assembled. Later on it could be used with programs we don't even know about, as long as they follow the Stack-based Linkage Convention.

With QtSPIM, main and each subroutine can be placed in a separate file and separately loaded. Use the "File" menu. Use the "Reinitialize and Load File" menu choice for main, and use "Load File" with the subroutines.

Here is a main that can be used with this subroutive. It has a prolog and epilog that follow the linkage convention.

## maxIntMain
##
## Call maxInt to find the maximum of two hard-coded integers
##
         .text
         .globl main

main:
          #prolog
          sub     $sp,$sp,4       # push the return address
          sw      $ra,($sp)
          
          # body
          li     $a0,12           # A = 12
          li     $a1,34           # B = 34  
          jal    maxInt           # $v0 = max
          nop
          move   $s0,$v0          # $s0 = max
          la     $a0,capt         # print caption
          li     $v0,4
          syscall 
          move   $a0,$s0
          li     $v0,1            # print max
          syscall
          
          # epilog
          lw      $ra,($sp)        # pop return address
          add     $sp,$sp,4         
          jr      $ra              # return to caller 
          nop      
          
          .data
capt:     .asciiz "Maximum: "