Phase 1.final of the flat-memory comptime VM — wire the host through it,
reach corpus parity, and gate it behind a build flag — plus the first
Phase 3 (compiler-API) step. Default OFF; legacy interpreter unchanged.
Host wiring + hardening:
- Machine accessors return error.OutOfBounds (no debug panic) on bad
addresses; Frame.get/set bounds-check and bail (no panic) on a malformed
operand ref (e.g. a ret Ref.none from an unresolved name).
- tryEval routed at both comptime call sites in emit_llvm — the const-init
fold and the #run side-effect path — with per-eval legacy fallback;
yields .void_val for void/noreturn entries. Both sites sx_trace_clear()
before the legacy fallback so a partial VM run that pushed trace frames
doesn't double-push on re-run.
VM coverage (all corpus const-inits except the inline-asm global):
- Implicit context materialized from the __sx_default_context global; the
full allocator protocol runs on the VM (context.allocator.alloc ->
call_indirect -> CAllocator thunk -> libc_malloc -> native flat malloc).
- Native libc memory builtins (malloc/calloc/free/memcpy/memmove/memset)
on flat memory; f32 stored/loaded as the 4-byte single; signed sub-64-bit
loads sign-extended; global_get (lazy + memoized); func_ref/call_indirect
(func-ref encoded fid+1, 0 reserved for null); string/slice fat-pointer
field access; is_comptime; the failable/error cluster (error_set tuples,
trace_frame + native sx_trace_push/clear -> raise/catch/or + return traces).
Build flag + Phase 3 seed:
- -Dcomptime-flat (build_opts module) OR SX_COMPTIME_FLAT env enables the VM;
zig build test -Dcomptime-flat runs the full corpus on the VM (688/0).
- intern/text_of serviced natively on flat memory via Vm.callCompilerFn
(compiler_welded boundary) — the seed the rest of the compiler-API grows on.
Parity 688/688 gate ON and OFF. Unit tests added throughout. The
lowering-time #insert wiring was explored and reverted (lowering-time IR can
be malformed; full malformed-IR hardening is a prerequisite, deferred).
Phase 1 of the flat-memory comptime VM (current/PLAN-COMPILER-VM.md),
built standalone + unit-tested with the legacy interpreter still live and
the corpus untouched (688 green).
src/ir/comptime_vm.zig:
- Machine: one linear byte memory (comptime stack+heap) with a bump/stack
allocator (mark/reset), scalar readWord/writeWord (1/2/4/8 LE) + byte
views; addr 0 reserved as null_addr. Frame: a Ref-indexed register file
(Reg = raw u64: immediate scalar bits OR an Addr). Target-aware layout
comes from the type table, so cross-compilation stays correct.
- Vm executor over the SAME SSA IR, mirroring the legacy interp's scalar
semantics (i64 wrapping/signed, f64). Ported: constants, arithmetic,
comparison, logical, conversions, control flow (br/cond_br/ret + block
params); structs (alloca/load/store/struct_init/get/gep at target
offsets); tuples; arrays (index_get/gep, length); slices+strings as
{ptr,len} fat pointers (const_string, data_ptr, subslice,
array_to_slice, str_eq/ne, index-through-slice); optionals (pointer and
{T,i1} shapes); payloadless enums; deref/addr_of; direct + recursive
call over the shared flat memory (depth-guarded). The value model: a
word for scalars/pointers, by-address for aggregates (a struct's value
IS its Addr). Any unported op bails loudly (error.Unsupported + detail).
- Reg<->Value boundary bridge (valueToReg / regToValue) + tryEval, the
hybrid-wiring entry point: run a comptime fn on the VM, return a legacy
Value or null to fall back. Transitional, for the legacy interop edge.
Registered in the ir.zig barrel.
The byte-weld (sx structs whose layout was validated to mirror the
compiler's Zig records) plus the serialization/marshaling bridge was the
wrong direction: it bolted a parallel layout regime and hand-built
byte-copies onto a comptime value model that fundamentally isn't bytes.
Strip the struct-weld machinery:
- compiler_lib.zig loses the type registry (weldStruct / bound_types /
BoundType / FieldLayout / findType / SxField / LayoutMismatch /
validateStructLayout); it is now just the intern/text_of function
host-call bridge (kept as the Phase-3 compiler-call seed).
- nominal.zig loses validateWeldedStruct / weldedFieldOrderStr + the
sd.abi == .zig validation call.
- Remove the struct-weld unit tests and examples 0625/0627 (welded
structs) + 1183/1186 (weld-layout diagnostics).
- The #library / abi / extern syntax stays.
Record the new direction: a bytecode VM over flat, byte-addressable
memory so comptime values are native bytes (no weld/validation/marshal),
target-aware (preserves cross-compilation) and sandboxed. See
current/PLAN-COMPILER-VM.md (Phase 0 strip -> Phase 1 flat-memory value
model -> Phase 2 bytecode -> Phase 3 compiler-API on flat memory).
design/comptime-compiler-api.md gets a SUPERSEDED banner. Also drop the
"~500 lines / split the step" rule from CLAUDE.md.
Replace the explored byte-layout-override engine (offset-ordered LLVM structs /
weld plans / byte-blobs — all unnecessary) with a much simpler design: a welded
`struct abi(.zig) extern compiler { … }` is a bodied header declaring its fields
in the bound compiler type's MEMORY order. The compiler reflects the real Zig
type (field names via @typeInfo, offsets via @offsetOf, size via @sizeOf —
nothing hand-maintained) and validates the header matches, with loud diagnostics.
On pass it is an ordinary struct whose natural layout already equals the Zig
layout — no reorder, no padding, no index/remap tables, no special LLVM path — so
@ptrCast'ing it to the compiler's own type and dereferencing is byte-identical.
When types.zig shifts, the header stops matching and the developer gets a specific
message to fix it.
- compiler_lib.zig: weldStruct reflects field names and bakes bound_types fields
in ascending-offset (memory) order; deleted computeWeldPlan/WeldPlan/WeldElement.
- nominal.zig validateWeldedStruct: precise diagnostics — field-not-found,
wrong-field-order (+ expected memory order), type-layout (size) mismatch,
total-size mismatch.
- Examples: 0627 (StructInfo in memory order, byte-identical, usable),
1186 (source-order StructInfo -> wrong-field-order diagnostic); 1183 refreshed.
- Design doc + checkpoint updated.
`zig build test -Dname=examples/0625-foo.sx[,examples/0626-bar.sx]` runs ONLY the
named example(s) — full repo-relative .sx paths, comma-separated (a leading `./`
is tolerated). Empty = run everything (unchanged default).
Why: a full `-Dupdate-goldens` re-runs and rewrites all ~690 snapshots, so one
flaky/host-divergent example (AOT links, cross-arch `target` examples) can clobber
a good snapshot. `-Dname` regenerates only the named example(s) and touches
nothing else. It also busts the cached test-run result — the corpus enumerates
.sx/expected files at runtime, so a bare snapshot edit alone is otherwise served
from cache.
- build.zig: new `name` option threaded onto corpus_paths.
- corpus_run.test.zig: `nameMatchesFilter` + a per-example skip in the run loop.
- CLAUDE.md: document the targeted-regen workflow under Snapshot integrity.
Introduce the welded comptime `compiler` library (`#library "compiler"` +
`abi(.zig) extern compiler`), per design/comptime-compiler-api.md, and unify
`callconv(...)` into the new `abi(...)` annotation.
abi(...) replaces callconv(...):
- New ABI enum { default, c, zig, pure }; `abi(.c|.zig|.pure)` parses in the
postfix slot before extern/export (and standalone). `kw_callconv` -> `kw_abi`.
- Migrated 52 sx files, the call-convention-mismatch diagnostic, and docs
(readme/specs) from `callconv(.c)` to `abi(.c)`.
Phase 1 — welded compiler library (parse -> registry -> validation -> bridge):
- `abi(.zig) extern compiler` parses on fn decls (carries abi/extern_lib) and
struct decls (StructDecl.abi/extern_lib).
- `#library "compiler"` is the comptime-only internal surface — never dlopen'd.
- src/ir/compiler_lib.zig: the binding registry (the safety boundary). `Field`
welded to StructInfo.Field with layout baked from the real Zig type
(@offsetOf/@sizeOf); `findType`/`findFn`. Welded structs are layout-validated
at registration (field set + total size) as a header checked against the impl.
- Host-call bridge: a `fn abi(.zig) extern compiler` dispatches under the
comptime interp to its registered Zig handler (intern/text_of round-trip),
never dlsym. IR Function.compiler_welded; validated in declareFunction.
- Comptime-only enforcement: a runtime call to a welded fn is a clean
build-gating error (emitCall), not an undefined-symbol link failure.
Phase 2.1 — byte-layout weld foundation:
- Decision: full byte-layout weld (sx struct laid out byte-identically to the
bound Zig type). Registered StructInfo (first non-natural / Zig-reordered
layout). `computeWeldPlan` — pure offset-ordered element plan + padding +
sx-field->LLVM-element remap; unit-tested. Emit/interp wiring is the next
sub-step (2.2+, see current/CHECKPOINT-COMPILER-API.md).
Examples: 0625/0626 (welded struct + fn round-trip), 1183/1184/1185
(layout-mismatch, unexported-fn, runtime-call diagnostics).
A generic ($T) -> Type type-fn comptime-evaluated only its return
EXPRESSION, so a local declared before the return ('vs := …; return
make_enum(…, vs)') was unresolved. Now a body with a prelude (statements
before the return) has its full body evaluated: createComptimeFunction-
WithPrelude lowers the pre-return statements into the comptime function's
scope before the return expr, so the locals resolve.
- comptime.zig: createComptimeFunctionWithPrelude (prelude stmts +
expr); evalComptimeTypeBody (extract prelude + return expr, scan the
whole body for declare() forward types); runComptimeTypeFunc factored
out of evalComptimeType (shared bail/declare-never-defined handling).
- generic.zig: route a type-fn body WITH a prelude through
evalComptimeTypeBody; no-prelude bodies stay on evalComptimeType (zero
change for RecvResult/TryResult etc.).
Non-generic builders (whole body already evaluated) and the List-growth
path are unaffected. Suite green (684).
TypeInfo gains a `tuple(TupleInfo) variant (TupleInfo{elements: []Type},
positional/unnamed) — completing the reflect/construct triad with enum
and struct.
- meta.sx: TupleInfo + `tuple TypeInfo variant.
- interp: reflectTypeInfo builds .tuple (tag 2) as bare type_tag elements
(no name pairs); defineType dispatches tag 2 -> defineTuple, which
decodes []Type and completes the declare slot as a structural .tuple
via replaceKeyedInfo (kind change). Tuples are structural so the
declared name is vestigial, but the slot is still completed in place so
define returns the handle (consistent with enum/struct).
- call.zig: the lower-time type_info guard now admits .tuple.
define(declare("P"), .tuple(.{elements=.[i64,f64]})) builds a tuple, and
define(declare("T"), type_info((i64,bool,f64))) round-trips one. Suite
green (683).
TypeInfo gains a `struct(StructInfo) variant (StructField{name,type});
the metatype system now reflects AND constructs structs, not just enums.
- meta.sx: StructField / StructInfo / `struct TypeInfo variant.
- interp: reflectTypeInfo builds .struct (tag 1) for a source @"struct";
define dispatches on the TypeInfo tag (defineType) -> defineEnum (0) /
defineStruct (1). defineStruct mirrors defineEnum (dup-field-name check
included) but completes the declare slot AS a struct via replaceKeyedInfo
(a kind change re-keys the intern map; updatePreservingKey asserts no
key change, true only for the enum path).
- call.zig: the lower-time type_info guard now admits @"struct".
define(declare("P"), .struct(.{ fields = .[ … ] })) builds a struct, and
define(declare("C"), type_info(SrcStruct)) round-trips one. Suite green
(682); enum path (0619) unchanged.
A bare declare("X") with no define left a zero-field nominal slot that
panicked at codegen (verifySizes: llvm_size != ir_size). evalComptimeType
now detects a zero-variant tagged_union result and emits a clean
build-gating diagnostic naming the type — a zero-variant enum is never a
legitimate construction result (defineEnum rejects empty variant lists
too). Self-reference (a declared slot completed by define) is unaffected.
Two same-named variants in a constructed enum silently succeeded —
construction (.a) and matching would ambiguously pick one. defineEnum
now bails when a variant name repeats, naming it. The name is dynamic so
it sets last_bail_detail directly (bailDetail takes a comptime string);
evalComptimeType renders it as a build-gating diagnostic.
`arr[lo..hi]` at comptime bailed for any non-string base — the interp's
.subslice op only handled string-backed values. Worse, the open-ended
`hi` came from a .length op that misread a 2-element array as a {ptr,len}
fat pointer (returning the 2nd element, not the count), so even lo/hi
weren't valid ints.
Fix, interp-only (runtime already handles arrays via LLVMTypeOf):
- Thread the base operand's IR type onto the Subslice op (base_ty); the
interp uses it to tell a bare array (elements = aggregate fields) from a
{data,len} slice (elements in the data field) — indistinguishable by
Value shape alone.
- Fold an open-ended slice's hi to the array's static length for fixed
arrays at lower time (runtime emitLength folds the same constant, so the
IR result is unchanged — no snapshot churn — but the comptime interp no
longer hits the ambiguous .length op).
- subsliceElements() resolves the element list (array/slice, inline or
slot_ptr-backed) and subslice returns a proper {data,len} slice value.
Suite green (678), no .ir changes.
evalComptimeType did `interp.call(...) catch return null`, dropping the
interp's last_bail_detail; callers poisoned to .unresolved with no
diagnostic, so the sentinel reached LLVM emission and panicked
("unresolved type reached LLVM emission"), or hid behind a downstream
cascade.
Clear last_bail_detail before the call; on the catch emit a build-gating
.err at the construction expr's span ("comptime type construction
failed: {detail}", mirroring the #run surfacing in emit_llvm.zig), then
return null to keep the .unresolved poison — now gated by a real message
so no unresolved type reaches emission unannounced.
Empty-variant define now prints 'comptime define(): enum has no
variants' and exits 1 (no panic); make_enum-style computed-slice
failures show their root reason at the construction site.
type_info reflects an enum / tagged-union INTO a TypeInfo value — the
inverse of define's decode — so define(declare(n), type_info(T)) mints
a byte-identical copy with NO literal variant list.
- inst.zig: new BuiltinId.type_info (comptime-only, like declare/define).
- lower/call.zig: replace the 'not yet implemented' bail. Resolve $T at
lower time, reject non-enum/non-tagged-union loudly with a good span,
emit callBuiltin(.type_info, [const_type], TypeInfo).
- interp.zig: reflectTypeInfo builds the exact nested-aggregate Value
defineEnum decodes — variant {name,payload}, slice {data,len}, EnumInfo
{variants}, TypeInfo {tag0, EnumInfo}. tagged_union reflects field.ty
(tagless already void); payloadless `enum` reflects void per variant.
- emit: unchanged — type_info is always comptime-evaluated, the existing
comptime-only else arm (shared with declare/define) never fires.
0619 turns green: a source enum (circle:f64 / rect:i64 / empty) reflected
and reconstructed, constructs and matches like the original.
A nominal aggregate that contains itself (or a mutual peer) BY VALUE has no
finite layout and infinite-recursed typeSizeBytes into a stack overflow —
for SOURCE enums/structs as well as comptime-constructed types.
New `checkInfiniteSize` pass (lower/decl.zig, Pass 1g — after type
registration, before body lowering): walks the by-VALUE containment graph
(pointer/slice/optional payloads break the cycle, so `*Self` stays valid);
on a back-edge it emits a loud diagnostic — "type 'X' is infinitely sized
(it contains itself by value); use a pointer ('*X') to break the cycle" —
and poisons the offending field to `.unresolved` so sizing can't recurse
before the build halts on the error. Covers source + declare/define types,
direct + mutual recursion.
examples/1178 locks the diagnostic; issue 0139 marked RESOLVED. This also
completes METATYPE PLAN F5's by-value-self-reference rejection. Full suite
green (675).
declare now takes the type's NAME — `declare(name) -> Type` — because the
compiler needs it at compile time to register the forward type, which is
what makes self-reference resolve. EnumInfo drops `name` (it lives on
declare now); define completes the handle's body in place (the slot is
already named).
Self-reference mechanism (evalComptimeType): before lowering a comptime
type expression, preregisterForwardTypes scans it (and a called ctor fn's
body) for `declare("Name")` calls and registers each as an empty forward
nominal type AND binds it as a type alias. The alias is essential: a
`Name :: ctor()` decl makes `Name` a const_decl author, so a `*Name`
self-reference resolves through the forward-ALIAS path
(type_aliases_by_source), which a bare findByName registration doesn't
satisfy. With both in place `*Name` resolves to the forward slot at lower
time; the interp's declare returns that same slot; define fills it.
List :: make_list();
make_list :: () -> Type {
h := declare("List");
return define(h, .enum(.{ variants = .[
EnumVariant.{ name = "cons", payload = *List },
EnumVariant.{ name = "nil", payload = void } ] }));
}
Verified: cons/nil construct + match (direct and through the pointer),
multi-node list traversal via a recursive `count(*List)`. meta.sx
RecvResult/TryResult + examples 0614/0615/0617 updated to declare(name);
full suite green (673).
The compiler concept is declare/define (comptime type construction); the
old "reify" framing is gone from the entire repo.
- Rename: PLAN-REIFY → PLAN-METATYPE, CHECKPOINT-REIFY → CHECKPOINT-METATYPE,
PLAN-POST-REIFY → PLAN-POST-METATYPE (both rewritten around declare/define);
examples 0614/0615/0617 → comptime-metatype-* (+ their expected/ triplets),
headers rewritten.
- Scrub reify from design/execution-evolution-roadmap.md (§7 step 3 contracts,
§8.1, §9 decisions, §10 gates) → declare/define / comptime type construction.
- core.sx prelude pointer + parser.test.zig surface lock updated to the
declare/define builtins (define(handle, info) -> Type; EnumInfo.name).
No behavior change; renamed examples match their renamed snapshots. Full
suite green (673), all unit tests pass. Zero `reify` tokens remain in
src/docs/sx/examples.
Per the directive to strip reify entirely: the sx `reify(info)` one-shot is
removed. `define(handle, info)` now RETURNS the (completed) handle, so the
one-shot constructor chains as a single expression:
T :: define(declare(), .enum(.{ name = "T", variants = ... }));
- meta.sx: drop reify; RecvResult/TryResult use `define(declare(), …)`.
- interp .define returns the handle type_tag (was void); call.zig lowers it
with `Type` result and sets the info arg's target type to TypeInfo so the
intercepted call still infers the `.enum(…)` literal.
- returnExprMintsType: a type-fn body that returns `define(…)` (or a bodied
non-generic Type-returning sx helper) is comptime-evaluated.
- examples 0614 (direct) + 0615 (type-fn) use `define(declare(), …)`.
Full suite green (673). Files/docs still carry the old reify naming — the
rename sweep is the next commit.
Second slice of the re-architecture — the compiler now has ZERO type-
construction code beyond declare/define.
- instantiateTypeFunction: a type-fn body returning a computed Type (a call
to a non-generic, bodied, Type-returning fn) is comptime-evaluated with the
type bindings active, then renamed to the mangled instantiation name for
identity (renameNominalType). Replaces the old reify-call pattern-matching.
- DELETED: reifyType (lower/nominal.zig), findReturnReifyCall (lower/generic.zig),
and the stale inline-position reify gate in resolveTypeCallWithBindings.
- evalComptimeType (was evalComptimeTypeNamed): pure eval, no rename; the
type-fn caller renames explicitly. renameReifiedType → renameNominalType.
- The TYPE NAME now travels in the data: EnumInfo gains `name`, and define()
names the slot from it (the compiler derives no name from a binding LHS).
examples/0614/0615 carry `name = "..."`; RecvResult/TryResult set it too.
- field_type stays a reflection #builtin (reads a type); only construction
moved out. All reify mentions stripped from compiler source.
examples 0614/0615/0617 run on the floor. Full suite green (673).
First slice of the re-architecture. The compiler gains two comptime
type-construction builtins — declare() (mint an empty/undefined nominal
slot) and define(handle, info) (decode a TypeInfo VALUE + complete the
slot) — executed by the interpreter against a new `mint` TypeTable handle
(setMintTable). reify becomes PLAIN sx in meta.sx:
reify :: (info) -> Type { h := declare(); define(h, info); return h; }
`E :: f(...)` where f is a non-generic Type-returning fn (reify, and later
make_enum) is now comptime-evaluated via evalComptimeTypeNamed: wrap the
call in a throwaway comptime fn, run it through the interp with the mint
table enabled so declare/define mint the type, read back the type_tag, and
rename the anonymous slot to the binding name. The compiler has ZERO reify
knowledge at the decl site — the old `E :: reify` hook is deleted.
examples/0614 (inline reify) now runs on this floor. Full suite green (673).
INTERMEDIATE: reifyType + findReturnReifyCall still serve the type-fn path
(0615/0617) and will be deleted in the next slice (type-fn body
comptime-eval), after which the compiler has no reify code at all.
REIFY Phase 2.1. fieldTypeOf (lower/generic.zig, re-exported on Lowering)
returns the i-th member type of T: struct field / tagged-union + union
variant payload (.void for a tagless variant) / tuple element / array +
vector element. Out-of-range and memberless types poison to .unresolved
with a loud diagnostic (never a silent default). Wired into
resolveTypeCallWithBindings (replacing the Phase-2 bail); since it folds
to a TypeId at lower time it composes inside type_eq / type_name / any
type-arg slot.
examples/0616 green: struct fields (name via field_name + type via
field_type), type_eq fold, tagged-union payloads incl. quit -> void.
Suite green (672 examples, 447 unit).
type_info($T) -> TypeInfo (reflect into a value, inverse of reify) is
NOT done — still bails loudly; it's the larger Phase 2.2 step (widen the
TypeInfo data model + comptime value construction). Plan/checkpoint updated.
REIFY Phase 1.1 (Phase 1 complete). instantiateTypeFunction detects a
type-fn body that returns reify(...) (findReturnReifyCall) and routes it
to reifyType under the instantiation's name — mangled for inline use,
the alias name for `Foo :: Box(i64)` — with the type-arg bindings active
so reify payloads (`payload = T`) resolve against the instantiation args.
Placed before the general case, whose resolveTypeWithBindings would
route the reify call to the inline-position loud bail.
Registering under the mangled name lets the top-of-instantiation cache
return the SAME TypeId on a second instantiation, so Box(i64) resolved
at two independent sites is ONE type (Contract 1). examples/0615 green
(build()->consume() cross-site + `b : Box(i64) = .none`). Suite green
(671 examples, 447 unit).
REIFY Phase 0.2 (Phase 0 complete). Lowering.reifyType (lower/nominal.zig)
reads the flat-enum TypeInfo literal off the AST, synthesizes an
ast.EnumDecl, and feeds it through the SAME type_bridge.buildEnumInfo
path source enums use — so the minted type is byte-identical to a
hand-written `enum { value: i64; closed; }` and flows through enum
codegen (layout / construct / match) UNMODIFIED (Contract 2).
Wired at the `E :: reify(...)` const-decl hook in lower/decl.zig
(replacing the Phase-0.0 loud bail). Unsupported argument shapes bail
loudly via reifyBail — never a silent default. The generic.zig inline
reify path now reports it's only supported in a `::` binding (Phase 0).
examples/0614 green: reify a {value: i64, closed} enum, construct
.value(3) and .closed, match both -> "value 3" / "closed". Full suite
green (670 examples, 447 unit).
After a leading `.` (enum literal `.enum`, field access `x.enum` /
`E.struct`, match arm `case .enum:`) a reserved keyword is unambiguously
the member/variant NAME — the dot rules out the keyword reading — so no
backtick escape is needed. A declaration of such a variant still needs
the backtick (enum { `enum: i64 }), since the decl site has no dot.
Adds Parser.dotMemberName() (identifier OR identifier-shaped keyword)
and routes the leading-dot enum-literal and postfix field-access sites
through it. readme updated. The reify example 0614 now uses the cleaner
reify(.enum(...)) spelling (still xfail — reify lands next commit).
REIFY Phase 0.0. Add the comptime type-metaprogramming surface as the
on-demand module modules/std/meta.sx (NOT the prelude — declaring its
data types in always-loaded core.sx interns them into every module's
type table and shifts every .ir snapshot):
- EnumVariant / EnumInfo / TypeInfo data types. TypeInfo's variant uses
the backtick raw escape `enum so it reads as the keyword.
- reify / type_info / field_type as bodyless #builtin decls.
Each builtin bails LOUDLY when reached unimplemented (no silent default):
- reify(...) in a :: type-alias position -> decl.zig .call branch
(also the Phase 0.2 construction hook); poisons the alias .unresolved.
- reify / field_type in any other type position ->
generic.zig resolveTypeCallWithBindings.
- type_info(...) in expression position -> call.zig tryLowerReflectionCall.
Unit test src/parser.test.zig (registered in root.zig) locks that the
decls parse. zig build test green (447 unit, 669 examples).
Drive a bundled `zig` as `zig cc` for the AOT link step, supplying lld + CRT
+ libc (musl/glibc/mingw) so `sx build` produces native binaries with no host
toolchain. Default Linux output is static musl (portable-anywhere).
- src/zig_backend.zig: discover zig ($SX_ZIG / bundled-next-to-exe / PATH);
bundled-vs-PATH provenance gates auto-activation.
- src/target.zig: selectZigLinker + emitZigLinkArgv + zigTargetTriple, dispatched
before the per-OS branches; macOS/Linux/Windows in scope.
- src/ir/emit_llvm.zig: LLVMNormalizeTargetTriple so vendor-less zig triples
(e.g. x86_64-windows-gnu) parse to the correct OS/object format (COFF not ELF).
- src/main.zig: --self-contained / --no-self-contained; linux-musl, linux-musl-arm,
windows-gnu shorthands; de-vendor linux/linux-arm to match the corpus runner.
- examples/1660: Windows Win32 print-42 + exit(0) via kernel32 (ir-only off-Windows).
Auto-activates only for a bundled zig; a PATH-only zig engages under
--self-contained, so native dev/CI builds are never silently rerouted.
Docs: readme Cross-Compilation, design/bundled-zig-link-backend-design.md, current/PLAN-DIST.md.
A `%[name]` that references a symbol ("s") operand without an explicit
modifier now lowers to `${N:c}` (LLVM 'bare constant — no punctuation')
instead of `${N}`. This makes `bl %[fn]` / `call %[fn]` portable across
targets with no per-arch knowledge: x86 would otherwise render `$cb`
(an invalid call target, requiring a hand-written `:P`); aarch64 is
unaffected. Verified `:c` is equivalent to `:P` for x86-64 calls (both
emit R_X86_64_PLT32), and correct for branch targets, RIP-relative
addressing, and `$`-prefixed absolute immediates.
renderAsmTemplate injects `:c` only for symbol operands lacking an
explicit modifier (asmNamedIsSymbol helper); an explicit `%[name:X]`
still wins (escape hatch). x86 example 1659 drops its `:P` for the same
plain `%[fn]` as aarch64 1656. Snapshots regen to `${N:c}`. zig build
test green (668 corpus, 446 unit).
A `"s"` input operand feeds a function/global symbol; the template's
%[name] emits the platform-mangled name, so `bl %[fn]` / `call %[fn]`
branches DIRECTLY to it (PC-relative, no register load — one fewer
indirection than register-indirect `blr`).
Lowering: an `"s"` input lowers its RHS normally (a function name →
`ptr @fn`); the rejection added last commit is removed. Emit: a symbol
operand is passed with its OWN llvm type (LLVMTypeOf) and no coercion —
the function value is a `ptr`, and the old coerce-to-register-int path
mistyped it and failed the verifier. New asmIsSymbol helper.
Verified on aarch64: examples/1656 (sx → asm → bl _cb → sx → 42); the
emitted asm is a direct `bl <_cb>` (objdump-confirmed), IR constraint
`...,s,...`(ptr @cb). Flipped 1656 from the rejection lock to a runnable
aarch64 example. zig build test green (665 corpus, 446 unit).
A symbol operand (constraint "s") feeds a function/global symbol whose
mangled name the template emits — enabling a DIRECT `bl %[fn]` (one
fewer indirection than register-indirect `blr`). Until now `"s" = fn`
fell through to emit and produced an LLVM-verifier crash (param type
mismatch). Reject it at lowering with a clear diagnostic instead, and
lock that with examples/1656-platform-asm-symbol-operand.sx. The next
commit implements it and flips the example to run (→ 42).
Implements indirect-memory (`=*m`) `-> @place` outputs — the last
substantive asm feature. Unlike a write-through `=` output (which
returns a value that is then stored), an indirect output passes the
place ADDRESS to the asm and the asm writes through it; there is no
return slot.
emitInlineAsm:
- indirect outputs are excluded from the LLVM return type;
- their pointer is passed as an opaque `ptr` call arg, placed FIRST
(the arg-consuming constraint order is: output-section indirect
pointers, then inputs, then read-write tied seeds);
- each indirect arg gets an `elementtype(T)` call-site attribute
(required in the opaque-pointer era), T = the pointee type;
- the store-back loop skips indirect outputs (already written).
New asmIsIndirect helper. Lowering stops rejecting `*` (constraint kept
verbatim; `=*m` reaches the constraint string as-is). asmOperandIndex
is unchanged — indirect outputs still count as operands, so `%[name]`
${N} numbering holds.
Verified by running on aarch64: store-through-pointer (str x9, %[out]
→ 42, IR `=*m,~{x9}` with `ptr elementtype(i64)`) and a mixed case
(indirect + value output + input → `=*m,=r,r`, indirect ptr arg first,
${0}/${1}/${2} correct). 1652 flipped from the rejection lock to a
runnable aarch64 example (ir-only elsewhere). zig build test green
(661 corpus, 446 unit).
A scalar `::` constant folds to its value and has no storage. The
unary `.address_of` lowering (src/ir/lower/expr.zig) skipped the
alloca path (is_alloca == false) and resolveGlobalRef (scalar consts
get no storage global), falling through to the generic addr_of arm,
which reinterpreted the folded value as a pointer:
`inttoptr (i64 <value> to ptr)`. That wild pointer segfaulted on
deref and emitted invalid stores for inline-asm `-> @const`.
Diagnose instead, in the address_of(identifier) path: a non-alloca,
non-ref-capture, non-pack-elem scope binding (local scalar const) and
a module_const_map name not backed by storage (module scalar const)
both report "cannot take the address of constant '<name>' — a scalar
'::' constant has no storage …" and return a placeholder Ref. Chose
diagnose over materializing read-only storage (consistent with the
fold-only scalar model). Array/struct consts keep real storage and
stay addressable (@K/@LIT unchanged).
Also gives the ASM stream's planned output-to-const rejection for
free — asm `-> @const` lowers through the same path. Regression:
examples/1177-diagnostics-addr-of-const-rejected.sx. Resolves 0138.
Implements read-write (`+r` / `+{reg}`) `-> @place` outputs. LLVM has
no `+` constraint, so a read-write place lowers to:
- an output `=` constraint (return slot, stored back through the
place after the call), with the leading `+` rewritten to `=`; plus
- a TIED input constraint (the decimal index of that output) appended
after the regular inputs, seeded with the place's loaded value
passed as a call arg.
Tied inputs are appended last so existing operand indices (%[name] ->
${N}) are undisturbed; asmOperandIndex stays correct. Lowering no longer
rejects `+` (indirect `*` still rejected). emitInlineAsm grows the
arg/param arrays by the rw count, loads each seed, and emits the tied
constraint.
Verified by running: increment-in-place (41 -> 42) and a mixed case
(rw place + regular input + value output) producing the textbook
"=r,=r,r,0" constraint with correct ${N} indices. 1650 flipped from
the rejection lock to a runnable aarch64-pinned example (ir-only
elsewhere). zig build test green (658 corpus, 446 unit).
An asm result can be STORED through a place (a local / struct field) instead of
returned; the place output does not join the result tuple.
- parser.zig: `-> @place` parses `@place` as an ordinary address-of expression
→ an out_place operand (the in-function form; reuses the existing `@` prefix).
- inst.zig: AsmOperand gains out_ty (the output slot's value type) so emit can
build the combined return struct without re-deriving from Inst.ty.
- lower/expr.zig: out_place operand = the lowered @place address, out_ty = the
pointee. Read-write (`+`) and indirect-memory (`*`) constraints rejected loudly
(not yet implemented) rather than miscompiled.
- ops.zig emitInlineAsm: the LLVM return type is built from ALL outputs
(out_value + out_place); after the call, out_place slots are stored through
their address and out_value slots rebuild the sx result. Fast path when there
are no place outputs (the struct return IS the result — pure-value asm IR
unchanged).
Verified: write-to-local (42), struct field, mixed value+place (v=10 b=20), `+`
rejected. Locked with 1649-platform-asm-place-output (mixed, runs on aarch64).
zig build test green (657 corpus, 446 unit).
A top-level `asm { "tmpl", };` block (template only) lowers to LLVM `module asm`;
a lib-less `extern` declaration calls into the symbols it defines (the import
direction reuses the existing C-FFI extern path — no new surface).
- ast.zig: asm_global node (AsmGlobal { template }).
- parser.zig: parseAsmGlobal, dispatched from parseTopLevel on kw_asm — rejects
`volatile` and any operands/clobbers (template only). The in-function asm
expression form stays in parsePrimary.
- module.zig: Module.global_asm list; lower/decl.zig captures each template in
lowerMainAndComptime (the real top-level pass — lowerDecls is dead for
top-level); emit_llvm.zig emit() appends each via LLVMAppendModuleInlineAsm in
source order.
- the new node forced asm_global arms in sema.zig (analyzeNode +
findNodeAtOffset) and semantic_diagnostics.zig (checkBindingNames).
Verified end-to-end: an aarch64 `_my_add` global routine, called via `extern`,
returns 42 — AOT only (the ORC JIT doesn't link module-asm symbols; global-asm
symbols live in the final linked binary). Locked with 1648-platform-asm-global
({ "aot": true, "target": "macos" } → AOT build+run on aarch64, ir-only else).
zig build test green (656 corpus, 446 unit).
Replaces the N>1 "Phase E" bail with a shared asmResultType helper (lowering +
inferType) that derives the result type from the out_value operands: 0→void,
1→T, N→a named tuple (fields named via the §II.5 effective-name rule).
Key realization: toLLVMType(tuple) already produces a literal struct {T1,…,Tn} —
exactly what LLVM's multi-output inline asm returns — so emit needs NO change.
Building the op with a tuple result type makes the asm call return the struct,
which IS sx's tuple value (destructured by the normal tuple_get path).
inferType's .asm_expr arm now also delegates to asmResultType (single owner), so
`return asm`, `x := asm`, and `q, r := asm` all agree on the type.
Verified end-to-end on aarch64: split(0x1234)→(lo=52,hi=18), a udiv/msub
divmod→(3,2). IR: `call { i64, i64 } asm "divq ${4}",
"={rax},={rdx},{rax},{rdx},r,~{cc}"(…)` → extractvalue → tuple.
1640 → the x86_64 multi-output IR lock (ir-only); 1647 → a multi-output example
that runs on aarch64.
zig build test green (655 corpus, 446 unit).
lowerAsmExpr stops bailing and builds the inline_asm op: resolves each operand's
effective name (§II.5 — explicit [name] else the {reg} pin), interns
template/constraints/clobbers, lowers input Refs, derives the result TypeId
(0→void, 1→T). Adds the last deferred validation (every %[name] must name an
operand). Multi-output (N>1) bails with a named "Phase E" diagnostic.
emitInlineAsm (backend/llvm/ops.zig) ports Zig's airAssembly: assembles the LLVM
constraint string (outputs → inputs → ~{clobber}, ',' → '|'), rewrites the
template (%[name]→${N}, %%→%, $→$$, %=→${:uid}), then LLVMGetInlineAsm +
LLVMBuildCall2 (AT&T dialect). Dispatch wired in emit_llvm.zig (replacing the C.0
@panic tripwire).
inferType gains an .asm_expr arm (expr_typer.zig) so a bare `x := asm {…-> T}`
binding types correctly — without it the binding inferred .unresolved and
silently produced 0.
llvm_shim.c: LLVMInitializeNativeAsmParser() — the JIT must assemble inline asm
at run time.
Verified end-to-end on the aarch64 host: `mov`/`add` with register-class inputs
and a value output run (exit 42/99), `nop volatile` runs (exit 0). IR is
textbook: `call i64 asm "add ${0},${1},${2}", "=r,r,r"(…)`.
Locked with 1645 (aarch64 add, runs; ir-only on non-aarch64) + 1646 (:= binding).
Updated 1640 (now Phase-E bail) + 1642 (now runs).
zig build test green (654 corpus, 446 unit).
Adds the `inline_asm: InlineAsm` opcode to the IR Op union (inst.zig): interned
template + operand list (role/name/constraint/operand) + interned clobber names
+ has_side_effects; the result rides on Inst.ty (void / scalar / tuple).
The new variant forces coverage in the exhaustive Op switches:
- interp.zig: loud bailDetail — inline asm is never comptime-evaluable.
- print.zig: an IR-dump arm.
- emit_llvm.zig: a @panic TRIPWIRE — emit lands in Phase D, and until then
lowerAsmExpr still bails, so no inline_asm op is ever created. Reaching emit
would mean lowering switched over before emit was ready; crash loudly rather
than miscompile.
No behavior change: lowering still bails, the op is constructed only in the new
`inline_asm op shape` unit test (inst.test.zig).
zig build test green (652 corpus, 446 unit).
Extends lowerAsmExpr with a pinnedRegister(constraint) helper and two §II.5
operand-naming checks, in the compile path before the codegen bail:
- reject the echo form `[eax] "={eax}"` — a label identical to the register its
own constraint pins is redundant (the operand is already auto-named after the
register); the useful form is a label that differs (`[quot] "={rax}"`);
- reject duplicate operand names (ambiguous %[name] / result field).
Locked with 1643-platform-asm-echo-name and 1644-platform-asm-duplicate-name.
zig build test green (652 corpus, 445 unit).
Restructures the .asm_expr lowering arm into lowerAsmExpr, which validates the
asm shape with specific named diagnostics BEFORE the not-yet-implemented codegen
bail, so the user sees the real problem first. Two checklist items enforced:
- template must be a compile-time-known string ("..." or #string), not a
runtime expression;
- an asm with no value outputs must be `volatile` (else its effects could be
deleted) — mirrors Zig's rule.
Valid shapes still bail with the "codegen not yet implemented" message. Result-
type derivation + the operand auto-naming rule stay deferred to Phase C, where a
real IR op makes the result type observable/testable.
Locked with 1641-platform-asm-missing-volatile (the volatile error) and
1642-platform-asm-nop-volatile (no-output + volatile accepted → codegen bail).
zig build test green (650 corpus, 445 unit).
`asm volatile? { "tmpl", [name]? "constraint" (-> Type | = expr), …,
clobbers(.…) }` now parses into a flat-operand AsmExpr/AsmOperand (ast.zig +
parser.zig parseAsmExpr, dispatched from parsePrimary on .kw_asm). `volatile`
and `clobbers` are recognized contextually (not reserved). `-> @place`
write-through is rejected with a clear "Phase 2" parse error.
Codegen is not implemented yet (IR op + LLVM emit are Phases C–E), so lowering
bails LOUD + named via an explicit .asm_expr arm in lower/expr.zig (not the
generic unknown_expr else) — emitPlaceholder makes hasErrors() abort the build
on the message.
The new asm_expr tag forced (and got) arms in three exhaustive Node.Data
switches: sema.zig analyzeNode + findNodeAtOffset, semantic_diagnostics.zig
checkBindingNames — each recurses into template + operand payloads.
Design: adopted the operand auto-naming rule (design §II.5) — name auto-derived
from a {reg} pin, explicit [name] only when it differs or for register-class
operands, echo form rejected. Typing-stage rule; parser stores name: ?[]const u8.
Locked with examples/1640-platform-asm-parse.sx (multi-output divmod: named
operands, register pins, clobbers — parses then bails, called from main).
Also files issue 0137 (pre-existing, orthogonal: `sx run` with no `main`
segfaults via an unguarded JIT entry lookup in target.zig — not an asm bug).
zig build test green (648 corpus, 445 unit).
`asm` now lexes as a dedicated `kw_asm` keyword (Token.Tag + keyword map entry).
`volatile` and `clobbers` stay out of the global keyword table — they are
recognized contextually only inside an `asm { … }` body (PLAN-ASM Deviation 4).
- token.zig: kw_asm tag + `.{ "asm", .kw_asm }` map entry.
- lsp/server.zig: classifyToken exhaustive switch gained the .kw_asm arm
(the new enum value forced coverage — intended tripwire).
- lexer.test.zig (new, wired into root.zig barrel): locks `asm`->kw_asm and
`volatile`/`clobbers`->identifier.
Lock commit (behavior-locking passing test). zig build test green (445 unit).
When a `.build` target doesn't match the host, the runner can't execute the
example here, so it verifies via `sx ir --target` only: asserts exit + the `.ir`
snapshot (stdout) + diagnostics (stderr), never `.stdout`. An `.ir` snapshot is
REQUIRED in ir-only mode — its absence is a loud failure, never a silent pass.
- corpus_run.test.zig: ir_only flag (target set & !hostMatchesTarget); first
dispatch arm runs `sx ir`, sets act_exit/act_err/act_ir; skip stdout in both
update and verify modes; require ir_raw.
- lock fixture 1639-platform-target-cross (asm-free main, target x86_64-linux,
checked-in .ir). Verified: corrupt .ir => IR mismatch; delete .ir => require
failure.
Test-infra only; no compiler code. zig build test green (647 corpus, 444 unit).
A parse error raised while resolving an `#import` was rendered against the
ROOT file's source — the caret landed on an unrelated line (often a comment)
even though the message named the correct imported file.
Two compounding causes:
- core.zig wired `diagnostics.import_sources` only AFTER import resolution
returned, but a parse error aborts mid-resolution (before that wiring), so
the renderer had no imported sources and fell back to the root file. Wire it
(and seed the main-file source) BEFORE resolving.
- imports.zig emitted the diagnostic at the importer's `#import` span instead
of the parser's actual error offset inside the imported file, and didn't pin
the diagnostic's source_file to that file.
parser.zig now records `err_end` alongside `err_offset` for a proper caret
width. New `DiagnosticList.addFmtInFile` renders against an explicit source
file; imports.zig uses it with `importErrSpan(&p)`.
Regression test: examples/1176-diagnostics-import-parse-error-location
(importer + deliberately-broken companion; caret must land in the companion).
Two post-stream follow-ups flagged in CHECKPOINT-EXTERN-EXPORT.md, plus a
reproducible vscode-extension packaging setup:
- parser: drop the vestigial `RuntimeClassPrefix.is_extern` field and
`parseRuntimeClassDecl`'s `is_extern` param. Always false since the
`#foreign` token was deleted; the postfix `extern`/`export` keyword is the
sole reference-vs-define decider. No behavior change (644 corpus / 442 unit).
- vscode grammar: highlight `extern`/`export` as `storage.modifier.sx`.
- vscode packaging: declare `@vscode/vsce` as a devDep + add `package` /
`vscode:prepublish` scripts so the vsix rebuilds reproducibly (was an
ambient tool). Add repository/homepage/bugs (Gitea), icon (swipelab logo,
256x256), galleryBanner, README with cover banner. Rebuilt the vsix.
Per user directive (total purge): remove the hash_foreign token entirely rather than
keep it for a friendly deprecation message. Deleted: the token enum (token.zig), the
lexer keyword entry + directive-list mention + lex test (lexer.zig), the 4 parser
rejection sites + 2 lookahead clauses + the runtime-class prefix #foreign peek arm
(parser.zig), and the lsp completion arm (server.zig). '#foreign' now lexes as an
invalid '#' token → a generic 'expected ;' parse error (no migration hint — the
accepted UX cost of zero-foreign). Deleted examples/1176-diagnostics-foreign-removed
(its purpose, the friendly rejection, no longer exists).
src/ now contains ZERO 'foreign' (case-insensitive). Suite green (645 corpus / 443
unit, 0 failed). Remaining for the 9.4 gate: issues/*.md prose + example filenames.
Reword every 'foreign' comment to the extern/runtime-class vocabulary matching the
renamed identifiers (foreign call→extern call, foreign class→runtime class, foreign
path→runtime path, the #foreign-literal comment mentions → extern, etc.). Also fixes
two USER-FACING issues: the 'expected … #foreign … after type annotation' parse error
no longer advertises the removed keyword, and the Android 'no #jni_main' help
diagnostic now shows '#jni_class(…) extern' instead of the rejected '#foreign
#jni_class'. Removed the now-dead prefix-#foreign-vs-postfix conflict branch in
parseRuntimeClassDecl (the caller rejects #foreign before it runs).
src/ now contains 'foreign' ONLY in the hash_foreign token machinery + its 4
rejection messages — the deprecation mechanism (kept per the 9.0 recommendation; the
message MUST name #foreign to guide migration). Snapshot-neutral; suite green
(646 corpus / 444 unit, 0 failed).
The JNI/runtime-class path (Decision 5, Runtime* family). Coordinated across the
hook boundary so the BuildOptions accessor + its registered hook string stay in sync:
- src/: RuntimeClassDecl.foreign_path→runtime_path, splitForeignPath→splitRuntimePath,
foreignPathToJavaName→runtimePathToJavaName, jni_main_foreign_paths→
jni_main_runtime_paths, hookJniMainForeignPathAt→hookJniMainRuntimePathAt, and the
hook string 'BuildOptions.jni_main_foreign_path_at'→'…runtime_path_at'.
- library/: build.sx accessor jni_main_foreign_path_at→jni_main_runtime_path_at +
bundle.sx call sites + the local var → runtime_path + a comment.
- specs.md: the accessor name + <foreign_path_with_dots> doc refs.
- Regenerated 37 .ir snapshots: every program importing build declares the renamed
@BuildOptions.jni_main_runtime_path_at hook stub — symbol-name change only (verified
the .ir diff is ONLY this rename; reverted orthogonal empty-file normalization).
Suite green (646 corpus / 444 unit, 0 failed).
Per user feedback: don't introduce new terminology. The RuntimeClassDecl
reference-vs-define flag (set by the postfix 'extern' modifier, == old prefix
'#foreign #objc_class') is named is_extern, matching the keyword that drives it
and the existing is_extern on VarDecl/IR. Renamed is_reference→is_extern,
is_reference_eff→is_extern_eff; updated the field comment. Snapshot-neutral; green.
