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I think the compiler still needs to know that the value might be modified from the outside. Otherwise it might optimize the read operation away from the codepath.

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Yes, that is part of creating inline assembly in C or C++ code:

http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Extended-Asm.html

You'd have to do all the reads in ASM too then, but it would still be possible. It'd be terrible ergonomically.

At that point you’re really not writing C++ at all; you’re writing assembly in a .cpp file.

Nah. You could just define an inline function that'd do volatile read or write of a particular type. You don't have to hit assembly all the time.

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