static inline int SAVE_OPTIMIZED_ELEMENT( dt_elem_desc_t* pElemDesc,
        ddt_elem_desc_t* opt_elem )
{
    if( 0 != opt_elem->count ) {
        pElemDesc->elem = *opt_elem;
        SET_EMPTY_ELEMENT( opt_elem );
    }
    return 0;
}
static int32_t
opal_datatype_optimize_short( opal_datatype_t* pData,
                         int32_t count,
                         dt_type_desc_t* pTypeDesc )
{
    dt_elem_desc_t* pElemDesc;
    ddt_elem_desc_t opt_elem;
    dt_stack_t* pStack;            /* pointer to the position on the stack */
    int32_t pos_desc = 0;          /* actual position in the description of the derived datatype */
    int32_t stack_pos = 0, last_type = OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1, last_length = 0;
    int32_t type = OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP, nbElems = 0, continuity;
    OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE total_disp = 0, last_extent = 1, last_disp = 0;
    uint16_t last_flags = 0xFFFF;  /* keep all for the first datatype */
    uint32_t i;

    pStack = (dt_stack_t*)alloca( sizeof(dt_stack_t) * (pData->btypes[OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP]+2) );
    SAVE_STACK( pStack, -1, 0, count, 0 );

    pTypeDesc->length = 2 * pData->desc.used + 1 /* for the fake OPAL_DATATYPE_END_LOOP at the end */;
    pTypeDesc->desc = pElemDesc = (dt_elem_desc_t*)malloc( sizeof(dt_elem_desc_t) * pTypeDesc->length );
    pTypeDesc->used = 0;

    SET_EMPTY_ELEMENT( &opt_elem );
    assert( OPAL_DATATYPE_END_LOOP == pData->desc.desc[pData->desc.used].elem.common.type );
    opt_elem.common.type = OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP;
    opt_elem.common.flags = 0xFFFF;  /* keep all for the first datatype */
    opt_elem.count = 0;
    opt_elem.disp = pData->desc.desc[pData->desc.used].end_loop.first_elem_disp;
    opt_elem.extent = 0;

    while( stack_pos >= 0 ) {
        if( OPAL_DATATYPE_END_LOOP == pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.type ) { /* end of the current loop */
            ddt_endloop_desc_t* end_loop = &(pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].end_loop);
            if( last_length != 0 ) {
                CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC, last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
                pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                last_disp += last_length;
                last_length = 0;
            }
            CREATE_LOOP_END( pElemDesc, nbElems - pStack->index + 1,  /* # of elems in this loop */
                             end_loop->first_elem_disp, end_loop->size, end_loop->common.flags );
            pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
            if( --stack_pos >= 0 ) {  /* still something to do ? */
                ddt_loop_desc_t* pStartLoop = &(pTypeDesc->desc[pStack->index - 1].loop);
                pStartLoop->items = (pElemDesc - 1)->elem.count;
                total_disp = pStack->disp;  /* update the displacement position */
            }
            pStack--;  /* go down one position on the stack */
            pos_desc++;
            continue;
        }
        if( OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP == pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.type ) {
            ddt_loop_desc_t* loop = (ddt_loop_desc_t*)&(pData->desc.desc[pos_desc]);
            ddt_endloop_desc_t* end_loop = (ddt_endloop_desc_t*)&(pData->desc.desc[pos_desc + loop->items]);
            int index = GET_FIRST_NON_LOOP( &(pData->desc.desc[pos_desc]) );
            OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE loop_disp = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc + index].elem.disp;

            continuity = ((last_disp + last_length * (OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE)opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[last_type]->size)
                              == (total_disp + loop_disp));
            if( loop->common.flags & OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_CONTIGUOUS ) {
                /* the loop is contiguous or composed by contiguous elements with a gap */
                if( loop->extent == (OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE)end_loop->size ) {
                    /* the whole loop is contiguous */
                    if( !continuity ) {
                        if( 0 != last_length ) {
                            CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC,
                                         last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
                            pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                            last_length = 0;
                        }
                        last_disp = total_disp + loop_disp;
                    }
                    last_length = (last_length * opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[last_type]->size
                                   + loop->loops * end_loop->size);
                    last_type   = OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1;
                    last_extent = 1;
                } else {
                    int counter = loop->loops;
                    OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE merged_disp = 0;
                    /* if the previous data is contiguous with this piece and it has a length not ZERO */
                    if( last_length != 0 ) {
                        if( continuity ) {
                            last_length *= opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[last_type]->size;
                            last_length += end_loop->size;
                            last_type    = OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1;
                            last_extent  = 1;
                            counter--;
                            merged_disp = loop->extent;  /* merged loop, update the disp of the remaining elems */
                        }
                        CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC,
                                     last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
                        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                        last_disp += last_length;
                        last_length = 0;
                        last_type = OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP;
                    }
                    /**
                     * The content of the loop is contiguous (maybe with a gap before or after).
                     *
                     * If any of the loops have been merged with the previous element, then the
                     * displacement of the first element (or the displacement of all elements if the
                     * loop will be removed) must be updated accordingly.
                     */
                    if( counter <= 2 ) {
                        merged_disp += end_loop->first_elem_disp;
                        while( counter > 0 ) {
                            CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC,
                                         end_loop->size, merged_disp, 1);
                            pElemDesc++; nbElems++; counter--;
                            merged_disp += loop->extent;
                        }
                    } else {
                        CREATE_LOOP_START( pElemDesc, counter, 2, loop->extent, loop->common.flags );
                        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                        CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC,
                                     end_loop->size, loop_disp, 1);
                        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                        CREATE_LOOP_END( pElemDesc, 2, end_loop->first_elem_disp + merged_disp,
                                         end_loop->size, end_loop->common.flags );
                        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                    }
                }
                pos_desc += loop->items + 1;
            } else {
                ddt_elem_desc_t* elem = (ddt_elem_desc_t*)&(pData->desc.desc[pos_desc+1]);
                if( last_length != 0 ) {
                    CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC, last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
                    pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                    last_disp  += last_length;
                    last_length = 0;
                    last_type   = OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP;
                }
                if( 2 == loop->items ) { /* small loop */
                    if( (1 == elem->count)
                        && (elem->extent == (OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE)opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[elem->common.type]->size) ) {
                        CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, elem->common.type, elem->common.flags & ~OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_CONTIGUOUS,
                                     loop->loops, elem->disp, loop->extent );
                        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                        pos_desc += loop->items + 1;
                        goto complete_loop;
                    } else if( loop->loops < 3 ) {
                        OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE elem_displ = elem->disp;
                        for( i = 0; i < loop->loops; i++ ) {
                            CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, elem->common.type, elem->common.flags,
                                         elem->count, elem_displ, elem->extent );
                            elem_displ += loop->extent;
                            pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                        }
                        pos_desc += loop->items + 1;
                        goto complete_loop;
                    }
                }
                CREATE_LOOP_START( pElemDesc, loop->loops, loop->items, loop->extent, loop->common.flags );
                pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                PUSH_STACK( pStack, stack_pos, nbElems, OPAL_DATATYPE_LOOP, loop->loops, total_disp );
                pos_desc++;
                DDT_DUMP_STACK( pStack, stack_pos, pData->desc.desc, "advance loops" );
            }
        complete_loop:
            total_disp = pStack->disp;  /* update the displacement */
            continue;
        }
        while( pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.flags & OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_DATA ) {  /* keep doing it until we reach a non datatype element */
            /* now here we have a basic datatype */
            type = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.type;
            continuity = ((last_disp + last_length * (OPAL_PTRDIFF_TYPE)opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[last_type]->size)
                          == (total_disp + pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.disp));

            if( (pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.flags & OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_CONTIGUOUS) && continuity &&
                (pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.extent == (int32_t)opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[type]->size) ) {
                if( type == last_type ) {
                    last_length += pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.count;
                    last_extent = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.extent;
                } else {
                    if( last_length == 0 ) {
                        last_type = type;
                        last_length = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.count;
                        last_extent = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.extent;
                    } else {
                        last_length = last_length * opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[last_type]->size +
                            pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.count * opal_datatype_basicDatatypes[type]->size;
                        last_type = OPAL_DATATYPE_UINT1;
                        last_extent = 1;
                    }
                }
                last_flags &= pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.common.flags;
            } else {
                if( last_length != 0 ) {
                    CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC, last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
                    pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
                }
                last_disp = total_disp + pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.disp;
                last_length = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.count;
                last_extent = pData->desc.desc[pos_desc].elem.extent;
                last_type = type;
            }
            pos_desc++;  /* advance to the next data */
        }
    }

    if( last_length != 0 ) {
        CREATE_ELEM( pElemDesc, last_type, OPAL_DATATYPE_FLAG_BASIC, last_length, last_disp, last_extent );
        pElemDesc++; nbElems++;
    }
    /* cleanup the stack */
    pTypeDesc->used = nbElems - 1;  /* except the last fake END_LOOP */
    return OPAL_SUCCESS;
}