The compiler-synthesised trampoline path (previous commit) covers
every closure signature on demand; the hand-rolled stdlib impls
were only for two specific shapes (`Closure() -> void`,
`Closure(bool) -> void`) and are now strictly redundant.
Kept: the `Block` struct, `BlockDescriptor`, the
`_NSConcreteStackBlock` extern decl, and the shared
`__sx_block_descriptor` global. The compiler-emitted code
references all four; users still need to `#import
"modules/std/objc_block.sx";` to bring them into the module.
Removed: `__block_invoke_void`, `__block_invoke_bool`, and both
`impl Into(Block) for Closure(...) -> void` blocks. Replaced with
a comment block explaining how the compiler now handles the cast.
After this commit, `xx my_closure : Block` works for ANY closure
signature with no per-signature stdlib boilerplate. 189/189
example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
`xx closure : Block` casts now bypass the user-space Into(Block)
protocol path entirely. The compiler intercepts in
`tryUserConversion` BEFORE the Into lookup, detects when src is
`Closure(...)` and dst is `Block`, and emits:
1. A C-ABI trampoline `__block_invoke_<sig>` (deduped per closure
signature via `block_invoke_trampolines` map). Body matches the
existing hand-rolled `__block_invoke_void` exactly: load
block_self struct, extract sx_env (field 5) + sx_fn (field 6),
call sx_fn(__sx_default_context, sx_env, ...user_args), return.
2. Inline Block-struct construction at the cast site:
`Block { isa = &_NSConcreteStackBlock, flags=0, reserved=0,
invoke = &__block_invoke_<sig>,
descriptor = &__sx_block_descriptor,
sx_env = closure.env, sx_fn = closure.fn_ptr }`
Signature mangling: compact codes — `v` void, `b` bool, `i` s32,
`q` s64, `f` f32, `d` f64, `c/C/s/S/I/Q` for other ints, `p` for
pointers/aggregates that lower to a machine word. Return first,
then params underscore-joined. `Closure() -> void` mangles to `v`;
`Closure(bool) -> void` mangles to `v_b`.
Loud failures at the cast site:
- `Block` struct missing → "requires #import \"modules/std/objc_block.sx\";"
- `_NSConcreteStackBlock` extern missing → same diagnostic.
- `__sx_block_descriptor` global missing → same.
- `__sx_default_context` missing inside the trampoline emitter →
compiler-bug diagnostic (the scan pass should always register it).
The existing hand-rolled stdlib impls (`__block_invoke_void`,
`__block_invoke_bool`, the two `Into(Block) for Closure(...)`
impls) are now redundant — the compiler-synthesised trampoline
takes over via the intercept. Next commit (M5.A.2) removes them.
95-objc-block-noop continues to pass; IR shows `__block_invoke_v`
(the synthesised name) replacing the hand-rolled
`__block_invoke_void` at the cast site. 189/189 example tests
pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
12 commits this session shipped the entire M4 milestone. sx-defined
Obj-C classes now honor `context.allocator` end-to-end, route through
NSObject's retain/release at the source-language level, and emit
correct ARC ops in property setters/getters/dealloc per the Apple
ABI contract.
189/189 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green throughout.
Ready for M5 (closure↔block bridge) or M1.1.b (Class(T) phantom
typing) next session.
emitObjcDefinedClassDeallocImp now walks the class's #property fields
BEFORE freeing the state struct. For each:
- assign → no-op (primitives, no ARC traffic).
- strong → val = load field; objc_release(val).
- copy → same as strong (the stored value is a +1 retained copy
produced by the setter's [val copy]; we release it here).
- weak → objc_destroyWeak(&field) — unregisters the slot from
libobjc's side-table so the runtime stops tracking it.
Order matters: property releases happen BEFORE freeing the state
struct (which would invalidate the pointers we need to read), which
happens BEFORE [super dealloc] (which eventually frees the Obj-C
instance's own memory). The full sequence is now:
%state = object_getIvar(self, __sx_state_ivar)
// M4.B (this commit):
for each strong/copy property P:
val = load struct_gep(state, P.idx); objc_release(val)
for each weak property P:
objc_destroyWeak(struct_gep(state, P.idx))
// M4.0c (already shipped):
allocator = load struct_gep(state, 0)
allocator.dealloc(state)
object_setIvar(self, ivar, null)
// M1.2 A.6:
[super dealloc] // → objc_msgSendSuper2
ffi-objc-arc-02-strong-property now passes: child held by parent's
strong property gets released when parent deallocates, refcount → 0,
child deallocates, both states freed via tracker. Balanced 2/2.
189/189 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green. M4 complete.
emitObjcDefinedPropertyGetter dispatches on objcPropertyKind. The
strong/copy/assign paths keep their bare load. The weak path:
retained = objc_loadWeakRetained(field_addr)
autoreleased = objc_autorelease(retained)
return autoreleased
`objc_loadWeakRetained` does the race-safe upgrade via libobjc's
side-table: if the target has deinitialized (or is mid-dealloc on
another thread), returns null; otherwise returns the target with
refcount bumped (+1 retained, transferred to caller).
`objc_autorelease` drops the +1 into the current pool so the
caller doesn't need to manually balance — matches Apple's auto-nil
weak-getter contract.
The bare-load weak path (still in place pre-M4.B-getter) worked
for the single-threaded test scenario because the runtime nils the
slot before the load happens. The load-retained version covers the
multi-threaded "between load and use, target deinit's" race that
silent bare-load can't.
189/189 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
emitObjcDefinedPropertySetter now dispatches on objcPropertyKind to
emit the right runtime ops per Apple's ARC contract:
- assign → bare store (primitives, explicitly opted-out object slots).
- strong → load old; objc_retain(new); store new; objc_release(old).
Apple's runtime treats release(NULL) as a safe no-op, so
no explicit null-check on the old value.
- weak → objc_storeWeak(field_addr, val) — handles first-store
(init) and re-store (destroy + init) atomically. Registers
the slot with libobjc's side-table; the runtime auto-nils
it when the target deallocates.
- copy → [val copy] (sends `copy` selector — returns retained per
the NSCopying contract); load old; store the copied
instance; release old.
Side-effect on the weak path: even with the bare-load getter still in
place (loaded directly from the slot), weak reads work because Apple's
runtime side-table-nils the slot at target dealloc. The getter
improvement via objc_loadWeakRetained is the next commit and is
needed for race-safe reads (between load and use, the target could
deinit on another thread); for the single-threaded test scenarios
the bare load is sufficient.
ffi-objc-arc-02-strong-property advances from "child dealloc'd at
midpoint" to "unbalanced; alloc=2 dealloc=1" — strong setter now
retains, but the M4.B-dealloc cleanup hasn't landed so the child
held by the property isn't released when the parent deallocates.
Final commit (M4.B dealloc) closes the loop.
ffi-objc-arc-03-weak-property turns fully green: storeWeak +
auto-nil side-table do the work.
189/189 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
Three pieces, no behavior change yet:
1. `ObjcPropertyKind` enum (strong/weak/copy/assign) + `objcPropertyKind`
helper in lower.zig. Reads `field.property_modifiers`, applies the
default rule (`*<ObjC-class>` → strong; primitives → assign), and
emits loud diagnostics for the silent-error budget:
- unknown modifier name (typo) → "expected one of: strong, weak, copy, ..."
- conflicting modifiers (e.g. `strong,weak`) → "mutually exclusive"
- `weak` on non-object slot → "requires a pointer-to-Obj-C-class type"
- `copy` on non-object slot → same
- `strong` (default or explicit) on `*void` → "ambiguous: specify
#property(strong|weak|copy|assign) explicitly"
Called from `emitObjcDefinedClassPropertyImps` for validation; the
returned kind isn't wired into setter/getter/dealloc yet — that's
the next three commits.
2. `ensureArcRuntimeDecls` lazily declares libobjc's ARC helpers:
objc_retain, objc_release, objc_storeWeak, objc_loadWeakRetained,
objc_initWeak, objc_destroyWeak. Uses the existing
`ensureCRuntimeDecl` pattern; idempotent.
3. Fix existing NSObject method names in std/objc.sx — `isEqual_`,
`isKindOfClass_`, `respondsToSelector_` had trailing underscores
that the selector mangling turned into double-colon selectors
(`isEqual::`). Removed the trailing underscore so the selectors
come out as `isEqual:`, `isKindOfClass:`, `respondsToSelector:`
as Apple's runtime expects.
4. Two xfail regression tests:
- ffi-objc-arc-02-strong-property: assigns child to parent's strong
property, releases the original child reference. Midpoint check:
child's dealloc should NOT have fired (strong setter retained).
Pre-M4.B-setter: child dealloc fires immediately → "FAIL: child
dealloc'd at midpoint" snapshot. Exit code 1.
- ffi-objc-arc-03-weak-property: assigns target to holder's weak
property, releases target. Reads holder.target → should be null
(auto-niled). Pre-M4.B-getter/setter: reads stale pointer →
"FAIL: weak property didn't auto-nil" snapshot.
These will turn green as M4.B setter (commit 2), getter (commit 3),
and dealloc-cleanup (commit 4) land. Each subsequent commit updates
the snapshot to reflect the now-passing output.
189/189 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
Two regression tests pinning down the silent-error surface in M4.0:
ffi-objc-arc-00 — single sx-defined-class instance round-trips
through a TrackingAllocator-wrapped GPA. Captures alloc/dealloc
deltas around the lifecycle, verifies (+1, +1). Pre-M4.0 the +alloc
IMP used libc malloc and -dealloc used libc free; tracker would
have observed (+0, +0) and missed the leak silently.
ffi-objc-arc-00b — three instances alloc'd and released. Catches
bugs where:
- the captured allocator becomes shared (one global slot vs
per-instance);
- alloc captures the wrong allocator on the 2nd+ instance;
- dealloc reads garbage if state[0] is overwritten between
instances.
Both tests are macos-only (libobjc + NSObject must be present at
runtime). Both wrap the lifecycle in `push Context.{ allocator =
xx tracker }` so the threading path is exercised.
Important authoring note: `print` inside the push-block also routes
through tracker (string formatting allocs), polluting the leak
delta. Tests capture before/after counts WITHOUT any prints between
alloc and release, then verify the BALANCE — every alloc paired
with a dealloc — rather than absolute counts. Discovered while
writing 00: an initial naive "leak_count() == 0" assertion failed
not because M4.0 was broken but because print's string allocs
weren't freed at scope exit.
187/187 example tests pass.
Snapshot of FFI progress mid-M4. Allocator-aware sx-defined-class
lifecycle is done end-to-end (state struct + +alloc + -dealloc).
Stdlib NSObject + autoreleasepool helper landed; defer-release
pattern works at user code. Property ARC ops (M4.B) is the next
slice.
185/185 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim regression-verified
at every M4 sub-commit.
Declare `NSObject` in std/objc.sx as `#foreign #objc_class("NSObject")`
with the canonical instance + class-method surface every Obj-C class
inherits: `retain`/`release`/`autorelease`/`new`/`alloc`/`init`/
`description`/`hash`/`isEqual_`/`isKindOfClass_`/`respondsToSelector_`/
`class`. Root the foreign-class hierarchy in uikit.sx at NSObject by
adding `#extends NSObject;` to every previously-unrooted declaration
(NSValue, NSNumber, NSDictionary, NSSet, NSNotification, NSBundle,
NSNotificationCenter, NSRunLoop, CADisplayLink, CALayer, EAGLContext,
UIScreen, UIResponder) plus deeper chain fixes (NSMutableDictionary
extends NSDictionary; UIWindow extends UIView; UIViewController
extends UIResponder). After this, M2.3's extends-chain walk finds
`retain`/`release` on any UIKit-typed value:
view := UIView.alloc().init();
defer view.release(); // canonical sx idiom — no language magic
Plus `autoreleasepool(body: Closure())` stdlib helper that wraps
`body` in `objc_autoreleasePoolPush` / `defer objc_autoreleasePoolPop`.
Required for Foundation factory returns; closure-call frame is real
cost so hot loops should inline the push/defer-pop pattern manually.
Smoke test `ffi-objc-arc-01-autoreleasepool.sx` exercises both
patterns; refresh of two IR snapshots picks up the new stdlib decls
appearing in test outputs that include `modules/std/objc.sx`.
185/185 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
The synthesized -dealloc IMP now loads `state->__sx_allocator` (the
slot captured at +alloc time by M4.0a + M4.0b) and dispatches
`allocator.dealloc(state)` through the inline-protocol fn-ptr at
slot 2. Old behaviour was `free(state)` — went straight to libc,
ignoring whatever allocator the instance was constructed with.
After this commit, the per-instance allocator design from M1.2 A.5
is finally end-to-end correct:
push Context.{ allocator = arena } {
f := SxFoo.alloc(); ← arena.alloc(STATE_SIZE) + capture
// ... use f ...
}
// refcount → 0 ⇒ -dealloc:
// load state->__sx_allocator = arena
// arena.dealloc(state) ← same allocator round-trips
TrackingAllocator now sees the alloc/dealloc pair; the deferred M1.2
A.5 work is done. Closes the loop on M4.0.
The dealloc IMP passes `__sx_default_context` as the implicit __sx_ctx
when invoking the dealloc fn-ptr — the IMP itself has no caller-side
ctx (it's called by Apple's runtime at refcount-zero), and the
default GPA is the right baseline for any nested allocations the
dealloc body might perform.
Each compiler-internal lookup that "can't fail" (Context type,
__sx_default_context global) emits a loud diagnostic instead of
silent fall-through, per the silent-error budget.
184/184 example tests pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
Two converging paths now allocate the state struct via the protocol's
allocator instead of raw malloc:
(1) sx-side `Cls.alloc()`: compiler intercepts in `lowerObjcStaticCall`
when the receiver is a sx-defined `#objc_class` and the method is
the niladic `alloc`. Emits the inline alloc-and-init sequence
using the caller's `current_ctx_ref` as the context — so
`push Context.{ allocator = my_arena } { let f := SxFoo.alloc(); }`
honors `my_arena` end-to-end. The msgSend dispatch is bypassed
entirely for this case.
(2) Obj-C-runtime `[Cls alloc]` (Info.plist principal class, NSCoder,
UIKit reflection): the synthesized `+alloc` IMP shim reads
`__sx_default_context.allocator` and calls into the same shared
helper. The IMP has `has_implicit_ctx = false` and runs with no
caller-side context — the default GPA is the right policy choice
for "everything Apple's runtime instantiates".
Shared helper `emitObjcDefinedAllocAndInit(fcd, cls_ref, ctx_addr)`
does the work: `class_createInstance` → `ctx.allocator.alloc(STATE_SIZE)`
via the inline-protocol fn-ptr → memset 0 → store allocator at
state[0] (the M4.0a slot, captured for -dealloc's later use) →
`object_setIvar(instance, __sx_state_ivar, state)`. Loud failures
on missing globals via the diagnostics system.
The sx-side interception must explicitly bitcast the
`class_createInstance` result from `*void` to the method's declared
return type (`*<Cls>` or `?*<Cls>`). lowerVarDecl reads the Ref's IR
type when no type annotation is present, and coerceToType is a
no-op for ptr→ptr — without the bitcast, `let f := SxFoo.alloc();`
binds `f` at `*void` and downstream `f.class` / `f.method()` fails
to find anything.
-dealloc still uses `free(state)` (M4.0c rewrites it). 184/184 tests
pass; chess on iOS-sim green.
State struct for an sx-defined `#objc_class` now leads with an
Allocator field at index 0 — captured at +alloc time, read by
-dealloc to free the state through the same allocator. User fields
shift to index 1+; the existing by-name lookups in
emitObjcDefinedClassPropertyImps + lookupObjcDefinedStateFieldOnPointer
naturally resolve them at the new indices.
This step is the layout change only; the +alloc IMP still mallocs
(M4.0b will rewrite it to thread context.allocator through), and
-dealloc still uses free() (M4.0c). The field is allocated but
uninitialised; nobody reads it yet.
Storage type comes from `Context.fields[0].ty` via the new
`objcStateAllocatorType` helper — same Allocator value-shape the
implicit context machinery has used all along. If Context isn't
registered (early-init paths), the helper falls back to omitting
the field rather than synthesising a half-broken layout.
IR snapshot for 142-objc-class-method-lowering updated to reflect
the new struct shape and the +24-byte state allocation. Chess on
iOS-sim green; 184/184 example tests pass.
Three threads, one commit because they're entangled:
1. Helper free functions on `*UIKitPlatform` (refresh_safe_insets,
read_screen_scale, create_gl_context, setup_renderbuffer,
present_renderbuffer, compute_layer_pixel_size) → methods on the
`impl Platform for UIKitPlatform` block. IMP-shape trampolines
(`uikit_keyboard_will_change_frame`, `uikit_scene_will_connect[_ios]`,
`uikit_gl_view_tick/layout/touches_*`, `uikit_subscribe_keyboard_notifications`)
also collapse into methods on UIKitPlatform — the
`(self: *void, _cmd: *void, ...)` form is no longer needed since
M3 made the #objc_class trampolines compiler-synthesized. Class
method bodies in SxAppDelegate / SxSceneDelegate / SxGLView /
SxMetalView now read `if g_uikit_plat == null { return; }
g_uikit_plat.x();` — no more `xx self, xx 0` casts at every IMP
call site.
2. Declarative `layerClass` form. SxGLView and SxMetalView promote
from the M2.1(a) constant-with-runtime-string-lookup workaround
(`layerClass :: *void = objc_getClass("CAEAGLLayer".ptr);`) to
the class-method expression-body form
(`layerClass :: () => CAEAGLLayer.class();`). Type stays `*void`
until M1.1.b lands `Class(T)` parameterisation; the value side
already matches the plan. Backing this: foreign-class declarations
for CAEAGLLayer (extended with `class :: () -> *void;`) and a new
CAMetalLayer foreign-class declaration alongside it. Both
`#extends CALayer` so the dispatch chain knows about the parent.
3. Optional-shape idiom pass on uikit.sx. `xx`-as-optional-wrap on
field assignments (`plat.gl_ctx = xx ctx`, `plat.text_field = xx tf`,
`plat.display_link = xx link`) dropped — implicit `T → ?T` does
the right thing. `!` force-unwraps replaced with `if val := opt
{ ... }` safe-narrowing (the keyboard handler, the GL-context
read in setup/present renderbuffer, the gl_view read in scene
bootstrap). `orelse` (Zig keyword) that briefly snuck into the
keyboard handler removed in favour of the `if win := plat.window`
narrowing pattern. Result: no `xx` casts left on the implicit
T→?T path; all optional access goes through `if val :=`.
IR snapshots `ffi-objc-call-06-sret-return.ir` and
`ffi-objc-dsl-07-mangling-table.ir` refresh to pick up the new
`object_getIvar` / `object_setIvar` runtime-helper declarations
introduced when M1.2 A.3 made instance-method bodies route field
access through the state ivar.
Chess on iOS-sim green throughout. 184/184 example tests pass.
For UFCS dispatch on foreign-class receivers (`#foreign #objc_class`
aliases), `resolveCallParamTypes` was returning an empty slice — both
`resolveFuncByName(qualified)` and `fn_ast_map.get(qualified)` miss
for `#foreign` methods (they live in `foreign_class_map`, not the
regular fn maps). With `param_types` empty, the per-arg `target_type`
assignment in `lowerCall` was skipped, leaving `self.target_type` as
whatever it held on entry — usually the enclosing function's return
type. Inside a `-> BOOL` method, `xx ptr` then lowered with target
type `i8`: `ptrtoint ptr to i64` → `trunc i64 to i8`, sending the low
byte of the pointer through.
Symptom: chess on iOS-sim crashed in
`-[NSNotificationCenter addObserver:selector:name:object:]` with
`observer = 0xC0` (low byte of the SxAppDelegate receiver) when the
AppDelegate method's first param was renamed to anything other than
`self`. The original session diagnosed it as a `self`-vs-`this`
hardcoding in `lower.zig`, but those hardcoded `"self"` strings are
all on compiler-synthesized parameters (init scopes, JNI stubs,
property IMPs, dealloc IMPs) — not the user-facing #objc_class body
params. The bug was in arg-type resolution.
Fix walks `foreign_class_map` + `findForeignMethodInChain` to recover
the declared param types (skipping the implicit `*Self` for instance
methods). Regression test `examples/issue-0044.sx` exercises the
BOOL-return + foreign-class arg shape; pre-fix the receiver round-trip
prints WRONG, post-fix it prints ok.
The UIKitPlatform struct had a string of '*void = null; // UIWindow*'
fields — the type lived in a comment, every callsite had to 'xx'-cast
back to the real type. Migrated to the real foreign-class pointer
types now that M3 declared all the relevant '#objc_class' aliases:
window: ?*UIWindow
root_vc: ?*UIViewController
gl_view: ?*UIView (SxGLView OR SxMetalView — both extend UIView)
gl_layer: ?*CALayer (CAEAGLLayer OR CAMetalLayer)
gl_ctx: ?*EAGLContext
display_link: ?*CADisplayLink
Each field is wrapped in '?' since the platform may not have set
it yet (gl_ctx is null in metal mode, display_link is null before
the first frame, etc.).
SxSceneDelegate's window getter/setter now take/return '?*UIWindow'
instead of '*void' so calling code doesn't need an xx-cast.
Required fix in objcTypeEncodingFromSignature: '?T' (optional) was
bailing with 'type kind not yet supported'. Apple's runtime treats
nullability as 'pointer may be null' — the wire encoding is the
same as T. Recursive unwrap handles ?*UIView → '@', ?*CADisplayLink
→ '@', etc.
Chess on iOS-sim: board renders, full pipeline intact. 183 tests
+ zig build test green.
Three holdover free functions from the pre-M3 era were each
just two or three lines that forwarded to a global. With M3
finished, every call site is one #objc_class method body, so
the wrapper indirection earns nothing — inline them.
Deleted:
uikit_window_getter → body of SxSceneDelegate.window
uikit_window_setter → body of SxSceneDelegate.setWindow
uikit_did_finish_launching → body of
SxAppDelegate.application_didFinishLaunchingWithOptions
The bigger helpers (uikit_keyboard_will_change_frame,
uikit_scene_will_connect, uikit_gl_view_tick/_layout, the four
uikit_gl_view_touches_*) stay — their bodies are 30-80 lines
each, so wrapping them in a small forwarding method body inside
#objc_class is the cleaner factoring.
Chess on iOS-sim: board renders, full game state intact. 183
example tests + zig build test green.
Three slices in one commit since they're tightly coupled (the
M3.5 deletion only makes sense after M3.3 and M3.4):
M3.3 — SxGLView migrated to declarative '#objc_class("SxGLView")':
- '#extends UIView' for the view-hierarchy + responder chain.
- 'layerClass :: *void = objc_getClass("CAEAGLLayer".ptr);' uses
the M2.1(a) class-level constant form. Registered on the
metaclass; UIView's +layerClass override dispatches here so
EAGL gets the right backing layer.
- Six instance methods (sxTick, layoutSubviews, four touch
selectors) forward to existing legacy IMP free functions.
M3.4 — SxMetalView migrated, same shape as SxGLView; differs only
in the 'layerClass' constant returning CAMetalLayer instead of
CAEAGLLayer. The five shared IMPs (sxTick/layoutSubviews/4 touch
handlers) reach the same free functions — they already branch on
plat.gpu_mode for GL-specific renderbuffer code.
M3.5 — uikit_register_classes() and the two helper registration
functions are deleted outright. Every sx-defined Obj-C class in
this module now goes through the compiler's M1.2 / M2.1(a)
synthesis path at module init. The call site inside
UIKitPlatform.init is gone too — just a comment marking the
migration point.
Chess on iOS-sim: board renders, scene-delegate connection still
fires, GL/Metal layer setup intact, touch dispatch routes through
the synthesized IMP trampolines. 183 example tests + zig build
test green.
End of M3. The platform layer's Obj-C-runtime wiring is fully
declarative.
Remaining: M4 (autoreleasepool + ARC ops), M5 (closure↔block),
M6 (auto-import + production hardening). M1.1.b (Class(T)
parameterization + instancetype) is still deferred — none of
the migrated uikit code needed it.
Migrates SxSceneDelegate from the hand-rolled
objc_allocateClassPair + class_addMethod + class_addProtocol
sequence to the declarative form:
SxSceneDelegate :: #objc_class("SxSceneDelegate") {
#extends UIResponder;
#implements UISceneDelegate;
#implements UIWindowSceneDelegate;
scene_willConnectToSession_options :: (self, scene, session, options) { ... }
window :: (self) -> *void { ... }
setWindow :: (self, w) { ... }
}
emit_llvm now honors '#implements' in the class-pair init
constructor — for each #implements ProtocolAlias on the cache
entry's AST, emit before objc_registerClassPair:
proto = objc_getProtocol("ProtocolName")
class_addProtocol(cls, proto)
iOS checks 'class_conformsToProtocol' when instantiating scene
delegates; without the conformance the runtime silently rejects
the class and a default scene with no delegate gets created
instead. The protocol-getter returns null on dead-strip /
runtime mismatch (rare but possible) — the runtime treats
class_addProtocol(cls, null) as a no-op, so no explicit null
check needed.
Method bodies forward to the existing legacy free IMP functions
(uikit_scene_will_connect, uikit_window_getter,
uikit_window_setter) so we don't have to inline the scene-
connect setup logic (~80 lines).
uikit_register_classes is now tiny — just the two remaining
view-class helpers (M3.3 SxGLView + M3.4 SxMetalView). M3.5
deletes the function entirely once those land.
Chess on iOS-sim: board renders, scene delegate fires, touch
events route correctly. 183 example tests + zig build test
green.
Two coupled changes that unblock the uikit_register_classes
migration:
1) M1.2 A.3 — body's 'self' is the Obj-C id (opaque), NOT the
state struct. Matches Apple's ObjC semantics where 'self' IS
the object. Cocoa idiom 'xx self → id' works at runtime calls
(addObserver:, etc.); previously the trampoline replaced
'self' with the state-struct pointer, breaking any runtime
call that expected an id.
'*Self' substitution in resolveTypeWithBindings now points at
foreignClassStructType(fcd) — the opaque class stub — instead
of objcDefinedStateStructType(fcd).
'self.field' access on a sx-defined class instance field is
rewritten by lowerFieldAccess to go through the __sx_state
ivar:
state = object_getIvar(self, load(__<Cls>_state_ivar))
val = struct_gep(state, field_idx) → load
Both read (lowerFieldAccess) and write (lowerAssignment) take
this path. Compound ops (+=, -=, etc.) are supported via
storeOrCompound. The lookup is filtered: skip property fields
(those still go through the M2.2 msgSend getter/setter
dispatch) and foreign classes (no state).
New helpers in lower.zig:
- lookupObjcDefinedStateFieldOnPointer — match check.
- lowerObjcDefinedStateForObj — emit the object_getIvar +
ivar-global-load idiom (shared between read + write paths).
- lowerObjcDefinedStateFieldRead — the load path.
Also moved the @llvm.global_ctors registration out of the
sx-defined class-pair init constructor — global_ctors fires
DURING dyld's framework load, before UIKit registers its Obj-C
classes. objc_getClass("UIResponder") returned null, super
was null, objc_registerClassPair crashed. main's entry block
is post-framework-load but pre-user-code — exactly the right
window. New helper injectCtorIntoMain.
2) M3.1 — SxAppDelegate migrated to declarative #objc_class.
uikit_register_classes' hand-rolled objc_allocateClassPair +
class_addMethod for SxAppDelegate is gone; the compiler
synthesises the class at module init. The method bodies
forward to the existing legacy IMP free functions
(uikit_did_finish_launching, uikit_keyboard_will_change_frame)
so we don't have to inline 70+ lines of keyboard-frame logic
right now.
Also adds UIResponder foreign-class declaration and chains
UIView / UITextField to it via #extends UIResponder so the
methods that previously lived on UITextField directly
(becomeFirstResponder etc.) move to their proper home.
Chess on iOS-sim: board renders, full state intact. 183 example
tests + zig build test green.
When 'obj.method()' is called on a foreign-class pointer and the
method isn't declared on the receiver's class, the compiler walks
the '#extends' chain to find an ancestor that declared it.
Property lookup (M2.2) flows through the same chain walker.
ParentX :: #foreign #objc_class("...") { foo :: ... }
ChildX :: #foreign #objc_class("...") { #extends ParentX; }
child.foo() // now resolves — was 'no method foo on ChildX'
Two new helpers in lower.zig:
- findForeignMethodInChain(fcd, name) walks the cache via
fcd.members[i].extends → foreign_class_map[parent] → ...
Depth-capped at 16 to break accidental cycles.
- findForeignPropertyInChain(fcd, name) — same shape for fields.
ALSO fixes a latent class-hierarchy bug uncovered while testing
M2.3: emit_llvm was passing the sx alias name to
objc_allocateClassPair(super, ...) rather than the actual Obj-C
runtime class name. For 'SxThing :: #objc_class(...) { #extends
NSObjectBase; }' where 'NSObjectBase' is aliased to "NSObject",
emit_llvm produced 'objc_getClass("NSObjectBase")' → NULL →
'objc_allocateClassPair(NULL, ...)' → SxThing's super-class link
was broken → '[sx_thing hash]' bypassed NSObject and crashed in
the forwarding machinery.
Fix: ObjcDefinedClassEntry gains a 'parent_objc_name' field
pre-resolved by lower.zig's 'resolveObjcParentName' through
foreign_class_map (which has the alias → foreign_path mapping).
emit_llvm just reads the resolved name from the entry.
153-objc-extends-chain.sx exercises both fixes:
1-level: SxThing → NSObject — t.hash() walks one #extends.
2-level: SxLeaf → SxMiddle → NSObject — chained #extends.
Both return real NSObject.hash values from libobjc.
183 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
Properties on sx-defined #objc_class declarations now synthesize
getter (always) and setter (unless 'readonly') IMPs that GEP into
the hidden state struct and load / store the corresponding field.
The state struct already holds every user-declared field
(objcDefinedStateStructType), so no new layout work — the IMPs
just dispatch a struct_gep + load/store through the __sx_state
ivar.
For each '#property' field on a sx-defined class:
Getter '__<Cls>_<field>_imp(self, _cmd) -> T':
state = object_getIvar(self, load(__<Cls>_state_ivar))
return state.<field>
Setter '__<Cls>_set<Field>_imp(self, _cmd, val) -> void':
state = object_getIvar(self, load(__<Cls>_state_ivar))
state.<field> = val
Both IMPs land in the cache's methods slice (mirroring the
method-IMP wiring from M1.2 A.4b.iii) so emit_llvm's
class_addMethod loop registers them on the class without
special-casing. Selector mangling:
getter: <field> (e.g. 'width')
setter: set<Field>: (e.g. 'setWidth:')
Type encoding derived from the field's resolved IR TypeId.
'readonly' (the only modifier honored in this slice) skips the
setter emission AND the corresponding method entry — so the
runtime reports the selector as absent. Other modifiers
(strong, weak, copy, assign) parse fine but stay no-ops until
M4.2 wires up ARC ops in the setter body.
152-objc-property-sx-defined.sx round-trips on macOS:
b.width = 10; b.height = 7;
read back through getter IMPs.
area is readonly — class_getInstanceMethod(SxBox, sel(setArea:))
returns NULL, confirming the setter is absent.
182 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
Inside a '#objc_class { ... }' block, 'name :: Type = expr;' is
accepted alongside the existing method form. Parsed as sugar for
'name :: () -> Type => expr;' — a niladic class method with an
expression body. The synthesized class method flows through the
M2.1(b) class-method pipeline: a C-ABI IMP is emitted and
registered on the metaclass.
Apple's runtime sees zero distinction — '[Cls foo]' dispatches to
our IMP regardless of source spelling. The constant form is
purely syntactic sugar; it reads better for static metadata
returns:
SxGLView :: #objc_class("SxGLView") {
layerClass :: Class = CAEAGLLayer.class();
}
vs. the equivalent method form:
layerClass :: () -> Class => CAEAGLLayer.class();
Parser change: after 'name ::' if the next token isn't '(' we
take the constant branch — parse a type expr, expect '=', parse
the value expr, expect ';'. The result is a ForeignMethodDecl
with is_static=true, empty params, return_type=Type, body=block
wrapping the expr. Pure parser-level transformation; no new AST
nodes, no new lowering passes.
150-objc-class-level-constant.sx exercises both shapes on macOS:
a primitive (s32 answer) and a pointer ('*NSObject seedClass'
— the canonical '+layerClass'-style factory return).
180 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
M2.1 complete: both (a) the constant form and (b) the
expression-bodied class method shape land.
Next: M2.2 — 'field: T #property(modifiers...)' synthesizes
getter/setter pairs.
Bodied methods without a '*Self' first param (parser marks
is_static=true) are now registered as Obj-C CLASS methods on
the metaclass.
Each such method gets:
- A synthesized FnDecl + body lowering through the existing
M1.2 A.2 path.
- A C-ABI trampoline 'emitObjcDefinedClassStaticImp' — same
shape as the instance trampoline but skips the __sx_state
ivar read (no instance state) and passes only
'__sx_default_context' (plus user args) to the sx body.
- An entry in ObjcDefinedMethodEntry with 'is_class=true'.
emit_llvm's class-pair init constructor now computes the
metaclass once up-front (via object_getClass(cls)) and shares
it between the +alloc IMP registration (M1.2 A.5) and the
M2.1(b) class-method registrations. The per-method registration
loop picks the target via 'method.is_class ? metaclass : cls'.
149-objc-class-method-static-imp.sx end-to-end on macOS:
SxFoo :: #objc_class("SxFoo") {
answer :: () -> s32 { return 42; }
}
// [SxFoo answer] via objc_msgSend → 42
// class_getClassMethod(SxFoo, sel_answer) → non-null
Still TODO for M2.1: the (a) class-LEVEL constant form
'layerClass :: Class = CAEAGLLayer.class();' — needs parser
extension to recognize 'name :: Type = expr;' inside #objc_class
blocks, plus lazy-init-slot synthesis.
179 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
Adds a special case to lowerFieldAccess: when the field is
literally 'class' and the receiver is a pointer to an Obj-C
(or Obj-C protocol) foreign-class struct, emit
'object_getClass(obj)' instead of falling through to struct GEP.
Returns 'Class' (the M1.1 first-pass alias for *void;
parameterized Class(T) covariance is deferred to M1.1.b).
f := SxFoo.alloc();
cls := f.class; // → object_getClass(f)
cls == objc_getClass("SxFoo".ptr); // ok
New helper isObjcClassPointer(ty) detects 'ptr -> struct in
foreign_class_map under .objc_class / .objc_protocol'. The
check fires BEFORE the auto-deref so the runtime call sees the
opaque Obj-C pointer rather than the load'd struct stub.
148-objc-self-class-accessor.sx exercises both shapes end-to-end
against the macOS runtime: sx-defined class (SxFoo) and foreign
class (NSObject). Round-trips against objc_getClass(name).
178 example tests pass. zig build test green.
This effectively closes Month 1 — M1.0, M1.1 (first pass), M1.2,
M1.3 all done. Remaining: M1.1.b (Class(T) covariance +
instancetype), then Month 2 (declarative sugar).
Delete the bail at lower.zig:4407 that diagnosed sx-defined Obj-C
class dispatch as 'not yet supported'. Both foreign and
sx-defined '#objc_class' decls now flow through the same
'lowerObjcMethodCall' path — instance methods on sx-defined
classes dispatch via objc_msgSend, and the registered IMP
trampolines (M1.2 A.4b.iii) route to the sx bodies.
The runtime non-Obj-C branch (.swift_class / .swift_struct /
.swift_protocol) keeps its 'not yet supported' diagnostic;
M1.2 only addresses the Obj-C runtimes.
Constructor reorder in emit_llvm: emitObjcDefinedClassInit
runs BEFORE emitObjcClassInit. Otherwise the Phase 3.1
class-cache populator calls objc_getClass("SxFoo") before our
constructor registers the class — cache slot stored null and
'SxFoo.method()' dispatched against a null class pointer.
ffi-objc-defined-class-01-instance.sx (the integration test
from the plan) now runs the full lifecycle on macOS:
f := SxFoo.alloc() // synthesized +alloc IMP fires
f.bump() // dispatch → IMP trampoline → sx body
f.bump() // state persists across calls
f.bump()
f.get() // → 3
release_fn(f, sel_release) // synthesized -dealloc fires
The user declares 'alloc :: () -> *SxFoo;' bodyless to give the
synthesized +alloc IMP a typed contract at sx call sites —
same convention as foreign classes today.
M1.2 complete: A.0 A.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.4b.i A.4b.ii A.4b.iii
A.5 A.6 A.7. End-to-end class-synthesis foundation works.
177 example tests pass (+1 from the integration test). zig
build test green.
For every sx-defined #objc_class, emit a C-callconv -dealloc IMP
that runs at refcount-zero. Frees the sx state struct, nils the
ivar, then chains to [super dealloc] so NSObject's runtime
cleanup (object_dispose, associated-object teardown, KVO, etc.)
runs as usual.
-dealloc IMP (self: id, _cmd: SEL) -> void
state = object_getIvar(self, load @__<Cls>_state_ivar)
free(state) // free(NULL) is safe
object_setIvar(self, ivar, NULL)
sup = alloca { receiver: *void, super_class: *void }
sup.receiver = self
sup.super_class = load @__<Cls>_class
sel_dealloc = sel_registerName("dealloc")
objc_msgSendSuper2(&sup, sel_dealloc)
return
Two new per-class globals:
- '__<Cls>_class' : *void — populated by emit_llvm's
class-pair init constructor with the freshly-allocated Class
pointer (after objc_registerClassPair).
- The existing '__<Cls>_state_ivar' is also consulted to find
the state struct.
The -dealloc IMP is registered on the class itself (instance
method) via class_addMethod with encoding 'v@:'. emit_llvm
ALSO stores cls_val into '__<Cls>_class' so the trampoline
can build the objc_super struct.
internStringConstantGlobal helper added to lower.zig — interns
C strings as [N:0]u8 globals with byte-level aggregate inits.
Used here for the 'dealloc' selector string.
147-objc-class-dealloc-roundtrip.sx verifies end-to-end on
macOS: alloc + release fires the IMP, and a second alloc/release
cycle proves runtime state isn't corrupted. class_getMethod-
Implementation confirms the IMP is registered.
176 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
Still gated: sx-side 'obj.method()' calls bail at lower.zig:4407
with the existing diagnostic. A.7 opens the gate — last sub-step
of M1.2.
For every sx-defined #objc_class, emit a C-callconv +alloc IMP
that the Obj-C runtime calls when '[Cls alloc]' fires (from sx
code, UIKit instantiation, Info.plist principal class, etc.):
+alloc IMP (cls: Class, _cmd: SEL) -> id
instance = class_createInstance(cls, 0)
state = malloc(STATE_SIZE)
memset(state, 0, STATE_SIZE)
object_setIvar(instance, load(@__<Cls>_state_ivar), state)
return instance
STATE_SIZE = max(typeSizeBytes(state struct), 1) — always at
least one byte so the ivar is never null after +alloc returns.
The IMP is registered on the METACLASS (class methods live there
— every Class object's isa points to the metaclass) in emit_llvm's
class-pair init constructor:
metaclass = object_getClass(cls)
sel_alloc = sel_registerName("alloc")
class_addMethod(metaclass, sel_alloc, alloc_imp, "@@:")
That override wins over NSObject's default +alloc; runtime
instantiations get the __sx_state ivar bound automatically.
Per-instance allocator binding (the plan's full design — store
the Allocator value in the state struct so -dealloc frees through
the same one) is deferred. libc malloc/free is fine for v1; we'll
upgrade once Month 4's autoreleasepool + ARC ops shake out.
REFACTOR: collapsed five duplicate 'get<Name>Fid' helpers and
their cache fields (object_getIvar, object_setIvar,
class_createInstance, malloc, memset) into a single
'ensureCRuntimeDecl(name, params, ret) -> FuncId'. The helper
checks for an existing decl by name first (avoids the
'class_createInstance.1' duplicate-symbol crash when stdlib's
'#foreign' decl is already in the module). One helper instead
of one-per-function = ~150 lines deleted.
object_getIvar / object_setIvar added to stdlib std/objc.sx
so user code can use them too (146 exercises object_getIvar
to verify __sx_state was bound to a non-null state pointer
after +alloc).
146-objc-class-alloc-roundtrip.sx end-to-end against macOS:
'[SxFoo alloc]' returns non-null AND object_getIvar(instance,
__sx_state) returns the state ptr. Real Obj-C runtime, no
mocks.
175 example tests pass (+1). zig build test green.
For each instance method on a sx-defined '#objc_class', the
class-pair init constructor now:
sel = sel_registerName("selector_string")
imp = @__<Cls>_<method>_imp (M1.2 A.4b.ii)
class_addMethod(cls, sel, imp, "<encoding>")
before objc_registerClassPair. The IMP trampoline (A.4b.ii)
already bridges C-ABI -> sx body. With registration in place,
'objc_msgSend(obj, sel_bump)' now routes to the trampoline,
which reads __sx_state ivar and forwards to '@<Cls>.<method>'.
To get selector + type-encoding strings out of lower.zig and
into emit_llvm, ObjcDefinedClassEntry gains a 'methods' slice:
pub const ObjcDefinedMethodEntry = struct {
sel: []const u8, // mangled selector (M1.2 A.1's deriveObjcSelector)
encoding: []const u8, // type encoding (M1.2 A.1's objcTypeEncodingFromSignature)
imp_name: []const u8, // C-callconv trampoline symbol
};
registerObjcDefinedClassMethods populates this when it declares
each method's body function; Module.setObjcDefinedClassMethods
attaches the slice to the cache entry by name. Static (class-
side) methods are skipped — A.4b only covers instance methods;
class-method hooks like '+layerClass' land in M2.1.
emit_llvm reads entry.methods and emits class_addMethod inside
the per-class init block, before objc_registerClassPair (the
runtime locks the method list at register time on some SDK
versions).
145-objc-class-method-dispatch.sx verifies end-to-end:
class_getMethodImplementation(SxFoo, sel_registerName("bump"))
returns non-null after main starts. Both niladic ('bump') and
single-arg ('add:') selectors checked.
Still gated (A.7): sx-side 'obj.bump()' calls. The dispatch
gate at lower.zig:4407 hasn't opened — A.5 (+alloc) and A.6
(-dealloc) need to land first so the integration test
ffi-objc-defined-class-01-instance.sx (full state round-trip)
can exercise the full lifecycle.
174 example tests pass (+1 from 145). zig build test green.
For each bodied instance method on a sx-defined #objc_class,
emit a C-callconv trampoline function '__<Cls>_<method>_imp':
void __SxFoo_bump_imp(ptr obj, ptr _cmd, ...user_args) {
ivar = load @__SxFoo_state_ivar
state = object_getIvar(obj, ivar)
call @SxFoo.bump(__sx_default_context, state, ...user_args)
ret
}
The trampoline bridges the Obj-C runtime's IMP calling convention
('id self, SEL _cmd, ...args' as C ABI) to the sx body's
default-callconv shape ('__sx_ctx ptr, state ptr, ...user_args').
Implicit context comes from '&__sx_default_context'; the body
keeps its sx-side personality intact and can use 'self.field'
through the substituted state-struct pointer (M1.2 A.2b + A.3).
New helpers in lower.zig:
- 'getObjcObjectGetIvarFid' lazily declares object_getIvar.
- 'emitObjcDefinedClassImps' + 'emitObjcDefinedClassImp' walk the
cache and synthesise each trampoline.
- 'lookupGlobalIdByName' for finding the per-class ivar handle
global. Linear scan — same N-is-small rationale as the other
Obj-C caches.
Dead code at this commit: the trampolines exist in the module
but no class_addMethod call registers them with the runtime.
'objc_msgSend(obj, sel_bump)' would still fall through to the
parent class (NSObject 'doesNotRecognizeSelector:') today.
A.4b.iii wires up class_addMethod in emit_llvm's class-pair-init
constructor — that's when the trampolines come alive.
142's IR snapshot refreshed to show the trampoline.
173 example tests pass. zig build test green.
Class-pair init constructor now registers a single hidden ivar
on each sx-defined class:
class_addIvar(cls, "__sx_state", 8, 3, "^v")
before objc_registerClassPair. After the class is registered,
the constructor calls class_getInstanceVariable to fetch the
runtime Ivar handle and stores it in a per-class global
'__<ClassName>_state_ivar : *void'. Trampolines (A.4b.ii) will
read this global to 'object_getIvar' the state struct pointer.
lower.zig declares the per-class global at scan time
(declareObjcDefinedStateIvarGlobal) so emit_llvm finds it by
name when populating. Encoding '^v' = void* (a generic pointer
— the runtime treats it as opaque storage). log2 alignment = 3
for 8-byte pointer alignment on 64-bit.
144-objc-class-ivar-registration.sx exercises the round-trip:
after main starts, class_getInstanceVariable(SxFoo, "__sx_state")
returns non-null. Runs against the real Obj-C runtime on macOS.
142's IR snapshot refreshed to include the new constructor body
(class_addIvar + class_getInstanceVariable + ivar-global store).
173 example tests pass (+1 from 144). zig build test green.
For every sx-defined '#objc_class', emit a module-init constructor
that registers the class with the Obj-C runtime at module load.
Pattern mirrors the Phase 3.1 emitObjcClassInit companion:
'@llvm.global_ctors' + ORC-JIT main injection.
Constructor body, per cache entry:
super = objc_getClass("<ParentName>") // default NSObject
cls = objc_allocateClassPair(super, "<ClassName>", 0)
objc_registerClassPair(cls)
Parent is read from the foreign_class_decl's '.extends' member;
absent ⇒ NSObject (matches M1.2 A.0 spec). Class-name strings
go through new emitPrivateCString helper that mirrors the
selector-init / class-init shape.
Two new small helpers extracted while we were here:
- lazyDeclareCRuntime — declare-once extern wrapper for Obj-C
runtime APIs.
- appendModuleCtor — append-or-create global_ctors + ORC-JIT
injection, factored out of emitObjcClassInit.
143-objc-class-registration.sx exercises the round-trip on
macOS: after main starts, objc_getClass("SxFoo".ptr) returns
non-null. Runs against the real Obj-C runtime.
142's IR snapshot updated — the constructor + ctors metadata
are now part of the expected shape.
DEFERRED (A.4b): method-IMP registration (class_addMethod with
a C-ABI trampoline that reads __sx_state ivar and calls the sx
body). DEFERRED (A.5+): synthesized +alloc / -dealloc IMPs and
the '__sx_state' ivar setup.
172 example tests pass (+1 from 143). zig build test green.
Adds Pass 4b 'lowerObjcDefinedClassMethods' to lowerRoot: after
scan, walk objc_defined_class_cache and force-lower each bodied
instance method. The Obj-C runtime invokes these via the IMP
pointers wired up in A.4 — no sx-side call path drives lazy
lowering, so we trigger it here. Mirrors the JNI eager-lower
pattern in Pass 5.
Bug fix: lazyLowerFunction has its OWN inline body-lowering
path (separate from lowerFunction) that re-resolves param types
at line 1025. It was running without current_foreign_class set,
so '*Self' fell through to the type_bridge fallback and got
interned as a 0-field struct named 'Self' — body's
'self.counter' GEP'd into '{}' and LLVM verification rejected.
Fix: set current_foreign_class at the top of lazyLowerFunction
via the same lookupObjcDefinedClassForMethod path lowerFunction
uses. Save+restore via defer.
A.3 ('self.field access via the ivar') falls out for free —
'*Self' resolves to '*__SxFooState' so 'self.counter' is a
plain struct field access. IR snapshot in
142-objc-class-method-lowering.ir shows the round-trip:
define internal void @SxFoo.bump(ptr, ptr self) {
%gep = getelementptr inbounds { i32 }, ptr %self, 0, 0
%v = load i32, ptr %gep
store i32 (%v + 1), ptr %gep
ret void
}
171 examples pass (+1 from 142); zig build test green.
Still gated: Obj-C runtime dispatch (A.7) — sx-side
'f.bump()' calls bail at lower.zig:4407 with the existing
diagnostic. IMP-trampoline emission (the C-ABI shim that bridges
'objc_msgSend' → this body) lands in A.4 alongside class-pair
init.
Bodied instance methods on a sx-defined '#objc_class("Cls") { ... }'
declaration are now registered in fn_ast_map under '<Cls>.<method>'
and declared in the IR with their *Self params substituted to
the hidden state-struct type (M1.2 A.2a).
registerObjcDefinedClassMethods walks the foreign_class_decl's
members, synthesizes an FnDecl from each ForeignMethodDecl (zipping
params + param_names), and feeds it through declareFunction with
current_foreign_class temporarily pinned so resolveTypeWithBindings
substitutes Self → __SxFooState.
resolveTypeWithBindings now treats type_expr 'Self' as a contextual
alias: when current_foreign_class points to a sx-defined Obj-C
class, the substitution returns objcDefinedStateStructType(fcd).
Other Self contexts (protocols, JNI super, foreign-class member
type resolution) are untouched — the check filters on (!is_foreign
and runtime == .objc_class).
lowerFunction also sets current_foreign_class for the duration of
the body lowering when the name is qualified <Cls>.<method> and
Cls is in objc_defined_class_cache. Save+restore via defer so
nested calls round-trip cleanly.
Verification (manual): 'sx ir' on an sx-defined class shows
'declare void @SxFoo.bump(ptr, ptr)' — two args = implicit
__sx_ctx + the state-struct pointer (correct *Self substitution).
Body emission happens lazily; A.2c will trigger it eagerly so
the IMP trampoline (A.4) can reference it.
170 example tests + zig build test green.
Builds (and interns) the hidden sx-state struct type for an
sx-defined '#objc_class'. Layout:
__<ClassName>State {
user_field_0,
user_field_1,
...
}
This struct is what the runtime's '__sx_state' ivar points at —
separate from the Obj-C object itself, which stays opaque. The
sx method bodies will operate on '*__SxFooState' (after '*Self'
substitution in A.2b) so 'self.field' resolves to a plain struct
field access — A.3's 'free if types align' premise.
M1.2 A.5 will prepend '__sx_allocator: Allocator' so dealloc can
free through the per-instance allocator. Field-by-name access
stays correct across the future repositioning.
Methods / '#extends' / '#implements' members are ignored — only
'.field' contributes. Three unit tests pin: typical-field case,
empty-class case, mixed-member case.
Dead code at this commit — helper isn't called yet. A.2b (body
lowering with '*Self' substitution) wires it in. 170 example
tests + zig build test green.
Derives Apple's runtime type-encoding string from an IR method
signature. Called by class_addMethod(cls, sel, imp, types) when
M1.2 A.4+ synthesise IMPs for sx-defined classes.
Layout: <ret> @ : <param0> <param1> ... — @ is the receiver,
: is _cmd. Caller passes user-declared params AFTER stripping
'self: *Self'.
Encoding table:
v=void B=bool c=s8/BOOL s=s16 i=s32 q=s64
C=u8 S=u16 I=u32 Q=u64 f=f32 d=f64
@=foreign Obj-C class ptr #=Class :=SEL
*=[*]u8 (C string) ^v=any other ptr
bool (sx i1) maps to 'B' (C99 _Bool); s8 to 'c' (Apple's BOOL).
Foreign-class pointers detected via foreign_class_map lookup on
the pointee struct name. Other pointers fall to ^v — encoding is
metadata, not ABI, so conservative is safe.
Struct / slice / closure / etc. BAIL via diagnostic
(ObjcEncodingUnsupported) rather than silently mis-encoding, per
CLAUDE.md rejected-patterns rule. Future passes will widen the
table as new shapes show up in real IMPs.
Dead code at this commit — helper isn't called yet. Three unit
tests in src/ir/lower.test.zig pin the primitive / pointer /
Obj-C-class-pointer encodings before A.2 wires the helper in.
170 example tests + zig build test green.
Adds an insertion-ordered cache on Module for sx-defined Obj-C
classes — every '#objc_class("Cls") { ... }' declaration WITHOUT
'#foreign'. registerForeignClassDecl appends the entry alongside
its existing foreign_class_map insert; lookup helper available
via Module.lookupObjcDefinedClass.
ObjcDefinedClassEntry { name, *const ast.ForeignClassDecl }
The pointer back into the AST lets later passes (M1.2 A.1+) walk
'members' for fields / methods / '#extends' / '#implements'
without duplicating that data on the entry. Insertion order
matters because class-pair init constructors (A.4) must register
parent classes before children — 'objc_allocateClassPair(super,
...)' resolves super by lookup.
Infrastructure only — no observable behavior change. The cache
is populated but not yet read; A.1+ start pulling from it. 170
example tests + zig build test green.
Adds named stand-ins for the three opaque Obj-C runtime types
and Apple's signed-char boolean to library/modules/std/objc.sx:
id :: *void; // any Obj-C instance pointer
Class :: *void; // a class object pointer
SEL :: *void; // a registered selector
BOOL :: s8; // Apple's signed-char boolean (NOT sx's bool)
All resolve to their underlying type at the LLVM layer — no
runtime cost — but make foreign-class declarations read closer
to Objective-C source. The header's old caveat about lacking
type aliases is gone.
141-objc-type-aliases.sx exercises the aliases against the real
macOS Obj-C runtime: alloc/init an NSObject, fetch its class
via objc_getClass, sel_registerName a SEL, then call
'isKindOfClass:' returning BOOL=1. Non-macOS paths print the
same line to keep the snapshot stable.
DEFERRED (M1.1.b, follow-up): 'Class(T)' parameterization with
#extends-aware covariance, and 'instancetype' per-decl
substitution. Both require compiler-level type-check support
beyond plain stdlib aliases.
170 examples pass (+1).
Extends parseForeignClassDecl ([src/parser.zig:1262]) with an
arrow arm that mirrors the existing parseFnDecl shape — single-
expression body wrapped in a one-statement block so downstream
lowering sees the same AST as a brace-body method.
Closes the M1.0 surface: '=> expr;' is now valid for top-level
functions, struct methods, AND '#objc_class' member methods.
The sx-defined class lowering (A.7 dispatch gate) is still gated,
so 140-expression-bodied-objc-method.sx exercises parse-only —
the body is reachable but the method is never invoked. When M1.2
lights up sx-defined class instantiation, the arrow-body form
will flow through unchanged.
169 examples pass (+1 from 140 now green); zig build test green.
parseForeignClassDecl ([src/parser.zig:1262]) accepts ';'
(declaration) or '{ ... }' (block body) but not '=>' for member
methods. The arrow form, which parseFnDecl ([src/parser.zig:1647])
already handles for top-level/struct decls (M1.0 1/3), surfaces
'expected ;' at the arrow today.
Snapshot pins that error so the next commit (the parser
extension) shows up as a single diagnostic→runtime-output diff
in 140-expression-bodied-objc-method.{txt,exit}.
sx's '=>' body form (already used for lambdas) works today for
top-level function declarations and struct member methods. Pin
the surface with examples/139-expression-bodied-fn.sx so a
parser regression here surfaces immediately.
Coverage:
- module-top: double :: (x: s32) -> s32 => x * 2;
- niladic: answer :: () -> s32 => 42;
- struct method: total :: (self: *Point) -> s32 => self.x + self.y;
Next: extend the same form to '#objc_class' member methods (the
M2.1(a/b) class-constant + class-method overrides path).
`inferExprType` for a chained call `Cls.static().instance(...)` never
looked the inner call's foreign-class declaration up, so the outer
dispatch saw a `.s64` receiver, the `foreign_class_map.get(...)` lookup
missed, and lowering emitted `error: unresolved 'method'`. The macOS
target appeared to work because `inline if OS == .ios { ... }` strips
the gated body before lowering — eliding every call that would have
exercised the broken path.
The "lazy-lower" framing in the original issue file was a red herring.
Fix in `src/ir/lower.zig`:
1. `inferExprType` for `.call` with `.field_access` callee now checks
`foreign_class_map` for both shapes — `Cls.static_method(args)` (object
identifier matches a foreign-class alias, look up static members) and
`inst.instance_method(args)` (receiver is a pointer to a foreign-class
struct, look up non-static members).
2. New helpers `resolveForeignMethodReturnType` and
`resolveForeignClassMemberType` substitute `*Self` / `Self` to the
foreign-class struct so a `*Self` return doesn't synthesize a phantom
`Self`-named struct that future dispatches can't resolve.
3. The Obj-C lowering paths (`lowerObjcMethodCall`, `lowerObjcStaticCall`)
route through the same helper for `ret_ty` so the IR Ref's type matches
what `inferExprType` reports.
Regression test at `examples/138-foreign-class-chained-dispatch.sx`
exercises NSObject's `+alloc` / `-init` chain in both shapes —
`*NSObject` return then `*Self` return, and `*Self` then `*Self`. Runs
on the host (macOS) for live exercise; non-macOS hosts fall through to
a stub matching the expected output.
This unblocks Phase 3.2 C4/C5 — the `UIWindow.alloc().initWithWindowScene(scene)`
pattern that surfaced the bug is the cluster's bread-and-butter shape.
167/167 example tests; chess builds clean on macOS, iOS-sim, Android.
Per CLAUDE.md IMPASSIBLE RULES. Attempted Phase 3.2 C4 migration of
the UIKit chrome cluster in `library/modules/platform/uikit.sx`
(UIScreen / UIWindow / UIViewController / UITextField / UIView)
surfaced a real compiler bug: when a function body contains
`recv.method(...)` calls against an `#objc_class` receiver AND that
body is reached via `lazyLowerFunction` invoked from another
`inline if OS == ...` branch, the method dispatch fails with
"unresolved 'methodName'".
Specifically: `uikit_scene_will_connect_ios` (the iOS-sim crashing
case) contains `UIWindow.alloc().initWithWindowScene(scene)` etc.
The same calls compile cleanly in isolated probes — only the lazy-
lower-via-inline-if entry chain reproduces the bug. macOS target
builds fine throughout; ios-sim trips it.
C1/C2/C3 (commits 1ea9cda / 17775b2 / 2a7c8e0) happen to land cleanly
because the methods they migrate are reached eagerly (or are niladic
so the dispatch path doesn't hit the failing branch). C4 + C5 stay
blocked pending issue-0043's fix in a separate session.
Issue filed at `issues/0043-lazy-lower-loses-foreign-class-method-dispatch.md`
with the reproduction, stack trace, and investigation prompt
pointing at `lower.zig:1057` (`lazyLowerFunction`) and
`lower.zig:5290` (the field-access foreign-class dispatch chain).
FFI checkpoint updated to mark C4+C5 as BLOCKED on 0043.
The in-progress C4 working-tree changes were reverted; tree is at
the C3 commit `2a7c8e0` and chess on macOS/iOS-sim/Android builds
cleanly.
Third cluster: NSRunLoop and CADisplayLink move to declarative
`#objc_class` blocks.
Classes declared:
- NSRunLoop → currentRunLoop (class)
- CADisplayLink → displayLinkWithTarget_selector (class),
addToRunLoop_forMode (instance),
targetTimestamp (instance), duration (instance)
The display-link instance is created with the new typed call shape:
link := CADisplayLink.displayLinkWithTarget_selector(plat.gl_view, sel_tick);
plat.display_link = xx link; // keep the *void slot in the
// platform struct for ABI parity
runloop := NSRunLoop.currentRunLoop();
link.addToRunLoop_forMode(runloop, mode_ns);
The `sxTick:` callback's `link: *void` param is cast to
`*CADisplayLink` at function entry so the body's `link.duration()` /
`link.targetTimestamp()` calls type-check.
Two now-redundant `objc_getClass(...)` lookups for CADisplayLink /
NSRunLoop are gone — the class slots come from the declarative
declarations via `__sx_objc_class_init`.
166/166 tests; chess builds clean on macOS / iOS / Android.
Second cluster: NSNotification, NSBundle, NSNotificationCenter move
from `#objc_call(T)(recv, "sel:", args)` to declarative
`#foreign #objc_class("Cls") { ... }` blocks.
Classes declared (alongside the C1 Foundation utility group):
- NSNotification → userInfo (instance, returns *NSDictionary)
- NSBundle → mainBundle (class), resourcePath (instance)
- NSNotificationCenter → defaultCenter (class),
addObserver_selector_name_object (instance)
The 4-keyword `addObserver:selector:name:object:` selector derives
from the underscore-separated sx name via the default mangling rule
— no `#selector` override needed.
Cleanup wins:
- `objc_getClass("NSBundle")` and `objc_getClass("NSNotificationCenter")`
call sites gone — class slots now populated by emit_llvm's
`__sx_objc_class_init` constructor.
- `userInfo`'s return type is `*NSDictionary` directly, so the
previous `*void → *NSDictionary` cast at the keyboard-frame
callsite collapses.
166/166 tests; chess builds clean on macOS + iOS + Android via
`sx build main.sx`.
First of five Phase-3.2 migration clusters. Foundation utility
classes (NSValue, NSNumber, NSDictionary, NSMutableDictionary, NSSet)
in `library/modules/platform/uikit.sx` move from the explicit
`#objc_call(T)(recv, "selector:", args)` form to declarative
`#foreign #objc_class("Cls") { ... }` blocks with `recv.method(args)`
dispatch.
Classes declared (all near the top of uikit.sx, after the CGRect
struct):
- NSValue → CGRectValue (instance)
- NSNumber → numberWithBool (class), doubleValue +
unsignedLongValue (instance)
- NSDictionary → objectForKey (instance)
- NSMutableDictionary → dictionary (class), setObject_forKey (instance)
- NSSet → anyObject (instance)
Each call site casts the `*void` receiver to the typed foreign-class
pointer before dispatch — the existing `*void` shape is preserved
in the struct fields and outer parameter types; only the dispatch-
local copy is typed. This keeps the diff scoped to call-site
rewrites without rippling type changes through every consumer.
The four `objc_getClass(...)` calls that previously resolved
NSMutableDictionary / NSNumber at runtime are gone — Phase 3.1's
`__sx_objc_class_init` constructor populates the cached class slot
for each declared `#objc_class` at module load via
`OBJC_CLASSLIST_REFERENCES_<Cls>`.
166/166 example tests; chess clean on macOS + Android via
`tools/verify-step.sh` (iOS sim skipped — no booted simulator in
this run; previous full run was green at HEAD~6).
`examples/ffi-objc-dsl-07-mangling-table.sx` exercises every common
mangling shape in one fixture and pins the resolved selectors via
both `.txt` and `.ir` snapshots:
| sx method | derived selector |
|-----------------------------------|----------------------------|
| `length` | `length` |
| `addObject(o)` | `addObject:` |
| `combine_and(a, b)` | `combine:and:` |
| `insert_after_index(a, b, c)` | `insert:after:index:` |
| `add_observer_for_event(a, b, c, d)` | `add:observer:for:event:` |
| `initWithFrame_options(f, o)` | `initWithFrame:options:` |
| `custom_name #selector("actualSelectorName")` | `actualSelectorName` |
The class is synthesized at runtime via `objc_allocateClassPair` +
`class_addMethod` per selector (mirrors the pattern in
`ffi-objc-dsl-{01..05}.sx`), so the test actually dispatches through
the real Obj-C runtime on macOS.
Single commit because the implementation already shipped in 3.0/3.2;
this is a new regression that locks in current behavior, not a
test-then-make-green pair.
The `.ir` snapshot opts in via the existing run_examples.sh mechanism
(presence of a `.ir` file for the same name triggers capture). The
captured `OBJC_METH_VAR_NAME_*` constants surface every selector
string change at a glance.
166/166 tests.
