ffi 1.8b: sret transform for #objc_call(>16 B non-HFA struct)

104/104 regression tests pass. The Triple round-trip
(triple_imp writes {11, 22, 33} on the IMP side → #objc_call(Triple)
reads them back) is the test of record.

emit_llvm.zig changes:

1. `objc_msg_send` arm — when `needsByval(ret_ty)` (same predicate
   the plain-foreign-call path uses), apply the sret transform:
     - ret type collapses to void
     - prepend a `ptr` param at index 0 (call site provides an
       alloca slot)
     - mirror `sret(<RetType>)` on the call site so the AArch64 x8
       / SysV-AMD64 hidden-ptr ABI lowers correctly
     - load the result from the slot post-call
   The IR shape now matches clang exactly:
     call void @objc_msgSend(ptr sret({...}) %slot, ptr %recv, ptr %sel)

2. `.ret` arm — the body-side counterpart for sx fns whose declared
   return type is sret-shaped (sx-defined IMPs registered via
   `class_addMethod` produce these). When the current function's
   `needsByval(func.ret)` predicate holds, store the IR ret value
   through the prepended sret slot (param 0) and emit `ret void`.
   Previously the unconditional coerceArg path turned the struct
   value into `undef` and emitted `ret void undef` — illegal LLVM.

Test mechanics: registers `SxTripleProbe : NSObject` at runtime via
`objc_allocateClassPair` + `class_addMethod`, IMP returns
Triple{11, 22, 33}. `#objc_call(Triple)(instance, "tripleValue")`
gets them back, round-trip pinned in the .txt snapshot and the
IR-shape snapshot.

examples/ffi-objc-call-06-sret-return.sx

@@ -1,37 +1,48 @@
 // Phase 1 step 1.8 (PLAN-FFI.md): >16 B non-HFA struct returns
 // through `#objc_call`. AAPCS64 routes these through the indirect-
 // return convention: caller allocates the result slot, passes its
-// pointer as a hidden `x8` arg with the `sret(<T>)` attribute,
+// pointer in x8 with the `sret(<T>)` attribute, callee writes
-// callee writes through it and returns void.
+// through it and returns void.
 //
-// 1.6's `objc_msg_send` lowering hands the IR struct type straight
+// Register a runtime-built Obj-C class with a method that returns
-// to LLVMBuildCall2 — works for ≤16 B aggregates and HFAs of any
+// a fixed `Triple`. The IMP is a plain sx fn (callconv .c) — its
-// size (since those stay register-resident) but breaks >16 B int
+// sret-shaped lowering already works (Phase 0.3 fix for plain
-// aggregates: LLVM accepts the signature but the AArch64 backend
+// `#foreign` returns). The `#objc_call` dispatch side now produces
-// expects the result in x0/x1, the runtime stub doesn't populate
+// the matching call shape: `call void @objc_msgSend(ptr sret %slot,
-// those for sret-shaped returns, and the upper fields come back
+// ...)` + load. The two halves must agree on the ABI for the
-// as garbage.
+// round-trip to return the right bytes.
-//
-// 1.8a (this commit): xfail. Snapshot shows garbage in the third
-// field — pins the broken behavior.
-// 1.8b (next commit): emit_llvm.zig applies the sret transform
-// (ret type collapses to void, prepend ptr sret param, alloca
-// slot at call site, load result post-call) for non-HFA >16 B
-// returns. Snapshot flips to all-zeros (Obj-C runtime contract).
 
 #import "modules/std.sx";
 #import "modules/compiler.sx";
+#import "modules/std/objc.sx";
 
-// 24 B non-HFA integer aggregate. Distinct from any HFA path —
-// no all-float / all-double check fires.
 Triple :: struct { a: s64; b: s64; c: s64; }
 
+// IMP for the runtime-installed method. Obj-C convention: implicit
+// (self, _cmd) prefix, then declared args. Returns the value bytes.
+triple_imp :: (self: *void, _cmd: *void) -> Triple callconv(.c) {
+    Triple.{ a = 11, b = 22, c = 33 };
+}
+
 main :: () -> s32 {
     inline if OS == .macos {
-        t := #objc_call(Triple)(null, "tripleValue");
+        // Build the class:
-        // Per the [nil structReturn] = 0 contract, all three fields
+        //   @interface SxTripleProbe : NSObject
-        // should be 0 after 1.8b lands. Today: a/b correct, c is
+        //     - (Triple)tripleValue;
-        // whatever the callee-saves left in the high register.
+        //   @end
+        ns_object := objc_getClass("NSObject".ptr);
+        my_cls := objc_allocateClassPair(ns_object, "SxTripleProbe".ptr, 0);
+        sel := sel_registerName("tripleValue".ptr);
+        // Type encoding: {Triple=qqq}@: → returns 24 B struct of 3 s64,
+        // implicit (self: id, _cmd: SEL).
+        ok := class_addMethod(my_cls, sel, xx triple_imp, "{Triple=qqq}@:".ptr);
+        print("addMethod = {}\n", ok);
+        objc_registerClassPair(my_cls);
+
+        // Call through #objc_call — sret transform applies because
+        // Triple is 24 B non-HFA.
+        instance := class_createInstance(my_cls, 0);
+        t := #objc_call(Triple)(instance, "tripleValue");
         print("triple = ({}, {}, {})\n", t.a, t.b, t.c);
     }
     inline if OS != .macos {

src/ir/emit_llvm.zig

@@ -1041,25 +1041,36 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
             // ── Calls ─────────────────────────────────────────────
             .objc_msg_send => |msg| {
                 const msg_send = self.getObjcMsgSendValue();
-                // Per-call-site LLVM function type. The Obj-C ABI uses
+                // Detect the sret case: >16 B non-HFA struct return.
-                // the C calling convention: recv + sel in the first
+                // Same predicate as the plain-foreign-call path so the
-                // two int registers, additional args follow the C
+                // two arms stay in lockstep.
-                // rules for their types. We hand the precise type to
+                const raw_ret_ty = self.toLLVMType(instruction.ty);
-                // LLVMBuildCall2 — opaque pointers make the function
+                const uses_sret = self.needsByval(instruction.ty, raw_ret_ty);
-                // value type-agnostic.
+                const ret_ty = if (uses_sret) self.cached_void else raw_ret_ty;
-                const ret_ty = self.toLLVMType(instruction.ty);
+
-                const total_params: usize = 2 + msg.args.len;
+                // Slot layout:
+                //   uses_sret = false → [recv, sel, args...]
+                //   uses_sret = true  → [sret_slot, recv, sel, args...]
+                const sret_off: usize = if (uses_sret) 1 else 0;
+                const total_params: usize = 2 + msg.args.len + sret_off;
                 const param_types = self.alloc.alloc(c.LLVMTypeRef, total_params) catch unreachable;
                 defer self.alloc.free(param_types);
                 const call_args = self.alloc.alloc(c.LLVMValueRef, total_params) catch unreachable;
                 defer self.alloc.free(call_args);
 
+                var sret_slot: c.LLVMValueRef = null;
+                if (uses_sret) {
+                    sret_slot = c.LLVMBuildAlloca(self.builder, raw_ret_ty, "objc.sret");
+                    param_types[0] = self.cached_ptr;
+                    call_args[0] = sret_slot;
+                }
+
                 // recv (typed *void from the IR)
-                param_types[0] = self.cached_ptr;
+                param_types[sret_off] = self.cached_ptr;
-                call_args[0] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(msg.recv), self.cached_ptr);
+                call_args[sret_off] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(msg.recv), self.cached_ptr);
                 // sel (loaded SEL — opaque ptr)
-                param_types[1] = self.cached_ptr;
+                param_types[sret_off + 1] = self.cached_ptr;
-                call_args[1] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(msg.sel), self.cached_ptr);
+                call_args[sret_off + 1] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(msg.sel), self.cached_ptr);
                 // additional args take their IR types, with ABI
                 // coercion applied so structs / strings decay the
                 // same way they do for any C foreign call.
@@ -1067,13 +1078,23 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
                     const raw_ty = self.getRefIRType(arg_ref) orelse .void;
                     const raw_llvm = self.toLLVMType(raw_ty);
                     const coerced_ty = self.abiCoerceParamType(raw_ty, raw_llvm);
-                    param_types[i + 2] = coerced_ty;
+                    param_types[i + 2 + sret_off] = coerced_ty;
-                    call_args[i + 2] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(arg_ref), coerced_ty);
+                    call_args[i + 2 + sret_off] = self.coerceArg(self.resolveRef(arg_ref), coerced_ty);
                 }
 
                 const fn_ty = c.LLVMFunctionType(ret_ty, param_types.ptr, @intCast(total_params), 0);
-                const call_label: [*:0]const u8 = if (instruction.ty == .void) "" else "objc.msg";
+                const call_label: [*:0]const u8 = if (instruction.ty == .void or uses_sret) "" else "objc.msg";
-                const result = c.LLVMBuildCall2(self.builder, fn_ty, msg_send, call_args.ptr, @intCast(total_params), call_label);
+                var result = c.LLVMBuildCall2(self.builder, fn_ty, msg_send, call_args.ptr, @intCast(total_params), call_label);
+                if (uses_sret) {
+                    // Tag the call's arg 0 (sret slot) with the sret
+                    // attribute so the AArch64 / SysV backends route
+                    // through the x8 / hidden-pointer convention.
+                    const sret_kind = c.LLVMGetEnumAttributeKindForName("sret", 4);
+                    const sret_attr = c.LLVMCreateTypeAttribute(self.context, sret_kind, raw_ret_ty);
+                    const param1_idx: c.LLVMAttributeIndex = @bitCast(@as(i32, 1));
+                    c.LLVMAddCallSiteAttribute(result, param1_idx, sret_attr);
+                    result = c.LLVMBuildLoad2(self.builder, raw_ret_ty, sret_slot, "objc.sret.load");
+                }
                 // Always mapRef — the IR Ref counter for this
                 // instruction advances regardless of return type,
                 // so skipping it would misalign every subsequent
@@ -1254,6 +1275,21 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
             // ── Terminators ────────────────────────────────────────
             .ret => |un| {
                 var val = self.resolveRef(un.operand);
+                // sret-shaped function: declared return-type-in-IR is
+                // the struct, but the LLVM signature is void with a
+                // prepended ptr sret param. Store the value through
+                // the sret slot and emit ret void.
+                const func = &self.ir_mod.functions.items[self.current_func_idx];
+                const needs_c_abi = func.is_extern or func.call_conv == .c;
+                const raw_ret = self.toLLVMType(func.ret);
+                if (needs_c_abi and self.needsByval(func.ret, raw_ret)) {
+                    const llvm_func2 = c.LLVMGetBasicBlockParent(c.LLVMGetInsertBlock(self.builder));
+                    const sret_ptr = c.LLVMGetParam(llvm_func2, 0);
+                    _ = c.LLVMBuildStore(self.builder, val, sret_ptr);
+                    _ = c.LLVMBuildRetVoid(self.builder);
+                    self.advanceRefCounter();
+                    return;
+                }
                 // Coerce return value to match the function's LLVM return type
                 const llvm_func = c.LLVMGetBasicBlockParent(c.LLVMGetInsertBlock(self.builder));
                 const fn_ty = c.LLVMGlobalGetValueType(llvm_func);

tests/expected/ffi-objc-call-06-sret-return.txt

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-triple = (0, 0, 0)
+addMethod = true
+triple = (11, 22, 33)