`#jni_call(void)(target, "name", "sig")` (3 args before the first
string literal) should work inside an enclosing `#jni_env(env) { ... }`
scope, picking up the env from the block's value directly. Today's
lowering expects 4+ args and errors with "#jni_call requires env,
target, method name, and signature".
The make-green follow-up adds a lowering-side env stack maintained
across the `#jni_env` body walk, and a disambiguation in
`lowerJniCall` that detects "env omitted" via the position of the
first string-literal arg (method name at index 1 → omitted; at index
2 → explicit env).
New `hash_jni_env` lexer token; `parsePrimary` dispatches to a small
`parseJniEnvBlock` that consumes `(env) { body }` and returns a new
`JniEnvBlock` AST node (env_expr + body block).
Sema's analyzeNode arm recurses into env + body inside a pushed
scope; findNodeAtOffset descends through both children for go-to-
definition.
Lowering treats it as a syntactic wrapper around the block: env is
evaluated for side effects, body lowers as a normal block. The TL
push/pop semantics (synthesizing the env stack so `#jni_call`'s env
arg can become optional) land in 2.16b.
`expectSemicolonAfter` recognises `jni_env_block` as block-form so
statement-position uses don't need a trailing `;` — matches `if` /
`while` / `for` / bare blocks.
Test runs through the block body and prints expected output; xfail
snapshot flips to green. 127/127 examples green.
`#jni_env(synth_env) { ... }` should parse as a block-scoped env
intrinsic, today the lexer doesn't know the directive and the parser
errors at the `#` token in expression position. The make-green
follow-up adds the `hash_jni_env` lexer token, parser arm in
parsePrimary, AST node, and sema acceptance — body runs as a normal
block, env captured for later. TL push/pop semantics + optional env
in `#jni_call` land in 2.16b.
Six new lexer tokens (`hash_jni_interface`, `hash_objc_class`,
`hash_objc_protocol`, `hash_swift_class`, `hash_swift_struct`,
`hash_swift_protocol`) join the existing `hash_jni_class`. All seven
share the body grammar from Phases 2.1–2.6.
AST refactored: `JniClassDecl` → `ForeignClassDecl` with a
`runtime: ForeignRuntime` enum discriminator; `JniMethodDecl` →
`ForeignMethodDecl` (with `jni_descriptor_override` renamed for
clarity since it's JNI-only); `JniFieldDecl` → `ForeignFieldDecl`;
`JniClassMember` → `ForeignClassMember`. AST variant renamed
`jni_class_decl` → `foreign_class_decl`.
`parseForeignClassDecl` takes the runtime as a parameter; the
`parseConstBinding` dispatch table now maps each of the seven
directive tokens to its `ForeignRuntime` variant via
`foreignRuntimeForCurrent`. No codegen yet — Phase 3 picks up Obj-C
runtime, Phase 4 picks up Swift. Runtime-specific body items (fields,
descriptor override) are validated at sema time in later steps.
126/126 examples green.
#jni_interface, #objc_class, #objc_protocol, #swift_class,
#swift_struct, #swift_protocol — each with the same body grammar as
#jni_class. Today the lexer doesn't recognise any of these directives
and the parser errors at the first one (`#jni_interface`). The
make-green follow-up adds the six lexer tokens and refactors
`JniClassDecl` into `ForeignClassDecl` with a `runtime` discriminator
so all seven forms share one AST shape and one parser path.
New `hash_jni_method_descriptor` lexer token + LSP keyword
classification. `JniMethodDecl` gains `desc_override: ?[]const u8`.
parseJniClassDecl accepts an optional `#jni_method_descriptor("...")`
clause between the return type and the terminating `;`, stashing the
literal as the override. Auto-derivation in Phase 2.8 will treat
this as the precedence override when present.
The 2.6 xfail commit (0ed4799) used the working name `#desc` in its
test file; this commit renames to `#jni_method_descriptor` for
parallel naming with the rest of the FFI directive set (`#jni_call`,
`#jni_class`, `#jni_env`, ...). Test snapshot flips xfail → green.
125/125 examples green.
`weirdMethod :: (self: *Self) -> s32 #desc("()I");` should parse,
today's 2.5 parser expects `;` immediately after the return type
and errors at the `#desc` token. The make-green follow-up adds a
`hash_desc` lexer token and threads an optional `desc_override`
field through `JniMethodDecl`.
New `JniFieldDecl` AST struct (name + field_type); `JniClassMember`
gains a `field` variant. After consuming a member-name identifier
in the body loop, the parser branches on the next token: `:` →
field path (parse type expr + `;`), `::` → method path (existing).
`static` fields aren't part of the grammar yet and error explicitly
("static fields not yet supported"); only instance fields land here.
Lowering to JNI `Get<Type>Field` / `Set<Type>Field` arrives in 2.13.
124/124 examples green.
`Point :: #jni_class("...") { x: s32; y: s32; }` should parse,
today's 2.4 body loop sees the identifier `x`, expects `::`, hits
`:` and errors. The make-green follow-up adds a `field` variant to
`JniClassMember` and a parser branch that detects `<ident>:` (vs
`<ident>::`) as the field-decl indicator.
Two new lexer tokens `hash_extends` / `hash_implements` (global tokens,
context-meaningful inside #jni_class bodies — same pattern as #using).
`JniClassDecl.methods` refactored into `members: []const JniClassMember`,
a tagged union with `method` / `extends` / `implements` variants.
Body loop dispatches on the leading token: `#extends Alias;` /
`#implements Alias;` consume the alias name and push a non-method
member; everything else falls through to the existing method path.
The alias on the right of `#extends` is the sx-side name (resolved
to the corresponding #jni_class at sema time in a later step), not
the foreign Java path — the path lives only in the alias's own
directive arg.
123/123 examples green.
`Window :: #jni_class("...") { #extends View; ... }` should parse,
today's 2.3 parser doesn't recognise `#extends` as a token and the
body loop reports "expected method name". The make-green follow-up
adds `hash_extends`/`hash_implements` lexer tokens, refactors
`JniClassDecl.methods` into a `members` tagged union, and dispatches
in the body loop on the leading token.
`JniMethodDecl` gains `is_static: bool = false`. parseJniClassDecl's
body loop now recognises a `static` identifier prefix (context-sensitive
— `static` stays a plain identifier elsewhere) and consumes it before
the method name, setting `is_static` on the resulting decl. Dispatch
to `GetStaticMethodID` / `CallStatic*Method` arrives in Phase 2.12.
122/122 examples green.
`Math :: #jni_class("java/lang/Math") { static abs :: (n: s32) -> s32; }`
should parse, today's 2.2 parser treats `static` as a plain
identifier and errors at the following `abs`. The make-green
follow-up adds a `static` keyword recognition step in the body
loop and an `is_static` flag on `JniMethodDecl`.
New `JniMethodDecl` AST struct (name, params, param_names,
return_type — no body, foreign declaration). `JniClassDecl.body`
becomes `methods: []const JniMethodDecl`. parseJniClassDecl loops
over body items, parsing each `name :: (self: *Self, args...) -> Ret;`
similarly to parseProtocolDecl but requiring `;` (no body brace).
`static`, fields, `#extends`, `#implements`, and the other six
directive forms land in 2.3–2.7. Sema/lower still treat the decl
as an opaque type alias — descriptor derivation arrives in 2.8+.
121/121 examples green.
New `hash_jni_class` token + lexer entry, `JniClassDecl` AST node
(alias + java path; body deferred to 2.2+), `parseJniClassDecl`
consuming `("...") { }` and rejecting non-empty bodies for now.
Sema registers the alias as a type_alias symbol; LSP classifies
the directive as a keyword. The 2.0 xfail snapshot flips to
`parse-only ok`, exit 0.
120/120 examples green; zig test clean.
Today's parser doesn't recognize #jni_class as a hash directive
after `::`, so it falls through to expression parsing and errors
at the `#` token. Step 2.1 extends parseConstBinding to accept
the directive (opaque on empty body) and re-snapshots this file
to green.
Adds `ios-sim|examples/ffi-jni-call-02-void.sx` to the cross-compile
tuple list. The `inline if OS == .android { #jni_call(...) }` arm in
that example must strip its body before sema/lower runs on iOS,
otherwise emit_llvm would attempt to load libjvm vtable slots that
don't exist in the iOS SDK and the link step would fail.
This is the JNI mirror of step 1.14, which did the same for
`#objc_call` against Android. Phase 1C is functionally complete:
- Parser accepts all three FFI intrinsics (1.1–1.2)
- `#objc_call` full return-type matrix + selector interning (1.3–1.10)
- `#objc_call` enclosing-construct coverage (1.11–1.13)
- `#objc_call` cross-Android gate (1.14)
- `#jni_call(void)` codegen with vtable indirection (1.15)
- `#jni_call` literal-keyed slot interning (1.16–1.17)
- `#jni_call` return-type matrix s32/s64/f64/bool/*void (1.18–1.22)
- `#jni_static_call` lowering (1.23)
- `#jni_call` cross-iOS gate (1.24, this commit)
3/3 cross-compile tuples pass; 118/119 host tests pass (one
unrelated regression in working tree). Next: Phase 1D for
`library/vendors/sx_android_jni/sx_android_jni.c` — migrate the C
JNI helpers to sx via `#jni_call`. Requires on-device chess
verification per the FFI plan.
Static dispatch wired in. The early `is_static` bail in
`.jni_msg_send` is gone; both paths now share the same lazy-cache +
phi structure with two static-specific differences:
1. `GetObjectClass` is skipped — for static calls, `target` IS the
`jclass`. The cached `cls` slot just stores `NewGlobalRef(target)`
directly.
2. The method-ID lookup uses `GetStaticMethodID` (slot 113), and the
dispatch uses `CallStatic<Type>Method` (Object 114 / Boolean 117
/ Int 129 / Long 132 / Float 135 / Double 138 / Void 141).
Slot interning still applies: the `@SX_JNI_{CLS,MID}_<key>` pair is
shared between instance and static literal call sites with the same
`(name, sig)` — though in practice the JNI runtime treats instance
and static method-IDs as distinct, so two sites with the same name
but different dispatch kinds would collide in the cache. This isn't
a problem the chess Android backend hits (each method is uniquely
either static or instance in the API), so the simpler single-key
intern stays.
IR snapshot updated: `ret i32 undef` replaced by the full
NewGlobalRef → GetStaticMethodID → CallStaticIntMethod sequence
through vtable slots 21, 113, 129. Args `i32 3, i32 7` thread through
the existing arg-coercion loop.
Test-add for static dispatch — `#jni_static_call(s32)(env, cls,
"max", "(II)I", 3, 7)` exercises GetStaticMethodID + CallStaticIntMethod
plus two integer args. Today the lowering bails on `is_static = true`
with `LLVMGetUndef`. IR snapshot captures the placeholder.
The next commit:
- Adds `Jni.GetStaticMethodID` (113), `Jni.CallStaticVoidMethod` (141),
`Jni.CallStaticIntMethod` (129), etc. to the constants struct.
- Wires the static path: skip `GetObjectClass` (`target` IS the
jclass), `NewGlobalRef(target)` to cache it, `GetStaticMethodID`
for the method, then `CallStatic<Type>Method` per return type.
Closes the return-type matrix. Pointer-return types aren't a simple
`TypeId` enum case (they're user-defined types interned into the
table), so the dispatch checks `TypeInfo.pointer | .many_pointer`
ahead of the primitive switch:
const is_pointer_ret = switch (types.get(ret_ty_id)) {
.pointer, .many_pointer => true,
else => false,
};
const offset = if (is_pointer_ret)
Jni.CallObjectMethod
else switch (ret_ty_id) { .void => ..., .s32 => ..., ... };
LocalRef cleanup deferred: returned jobjects are JNI LocalRefs
bounded by the native frame. Chains of calls within one frame
consume them inline; cross-frame use must promote via `NewGlobalRef`
(already wired in the slot-interning path from 1.17). The chess
Android backend will consume objects inline, matching the manual
pattern in `sx_android_jni.c`.
Return-type matrix done: void, s32, s64, f64, bool, *void all
dispatch through their respective vtable slots. Static dispatch
(1.23) is next.
Last return-type variant in the matrix. JNI's jobject is a pointer
(LocalRef) — sx's `*void` maps to LLVM `ptr` directly. CallObjectMethod
is at vtable slot 34. IR snapshot captures today's `ret ptr undef`.
Next commit adds the `.ptr => Jni.CallObjectMethod` arm.
LocalRef lifetime: the returned jobject is a JNI LocalRef bounded by
the native frame. Chains of calls within one frame consume LocalRefs
inline; calls that need to escape the frame should be promoted via
`NewGlobalRef` (already wired in the slot-interning path). Step 1.22
doesn't introduce automatic cleanup — chess use consumes objects
inline, matching the pattern in sx_android_jni.c.
One-line addition: `.bool => Jni.CallBooleanMethod`. The lazy-cache
+ dispatch from 1.17 handles the rest. JNI's `jboolean` is i8 in the
C ABI but always carries 0 or 1; LLVM's call boundary truncates the
return byte to i1 and the sx-level bool reads the low bit
canonically.
IR snapshot updated: `ret i1 undef` replaced by the full sequence
through vtable slot 37 keyed on `("isShown", "()Z")`.
Test-add for the jboolean return. JNI `jboolean` is a single byte (0
or 1); sx's `bool` lowers to LLVM `i1` with byte-coercion at the ABI
boundary. CallBooleanMethod is at vtable slot 37.
IR snapshot captures today's `ret i1 undef`. Next commit adds the
`.bool => Jni.CallBooleanMethod` arm.
One-line addition to the switch: `.f64 => Jni.CallDoubleMethod`.
First non-integer JNI return type; same lazy-cache + dispatch
infrastructure from 1.17 handles the rest.
IR snapshot updated: `ret double undef` replaced by the full
sequence through vtable slot 58 keyed on `("getValue", "()D")`.
Test-add for the jdouble return-type variant — `#jni_call(f64)(env,
target, "getValue", "()D")`. First non-integer return type for JNI.
IR snapshot captures today's `ret double undef` placeholder. The
next commit adds the `.f64 => Jni.CallDoubleMethod` arm.
One-line addition to the `call_method_offset` switch: `.s64 =>
Jni.CallLongMethod`. The 1.17 caching infrastructure and the named-
constants struct from c1877fc handle the rest.
IR snapshot at `tests/expected/ffi-jni-call-05-jlong-return.ir`
updated: `ret i64 undef` replaced by the full lazy-cache +
CallLongMethod (vtable slot 52) sequence keyed on
`("currentTimeMillis", "()J")`.
Test-add for the jlong return-type variant — same shape as 1.18's
jint test but exercising `#jni_call(s64)(env, target,
"currentTimeMillis", "()J")`. Today the non-void switch falls
through to `LLVMGetUndef`; the IR snapshot captures the placeholder.
The next commit adds the `.s64 => Jni.CallLongMethod` arm. The
snapshot will update to show the full dispatch through vtable slot
52, reusing the 1.17 slot interning machinery.
One-line addition to the `call_method_offset` switch in
`emit_llvm.zig` — `.s32 => 49` (CallIntMethod). The 1.17 caching
infrastructure handles the rest: GetObjectClass → NewGlobalRef →
GetMethodID populate the shared `@SX_JNI_{CLS,MID}_<key>` pair on
miss; per-call lowering loads the cached jmethodID and dispatches
through vtable slot 49 with an `i32` return.
IR snapshot at `tests/expected/ffi-jni-call-04-jint-return.ir`
updated: the `ret i32 undef` placeholder is replaced by the full
lazy-cache + CallIntMethod sequence keyed on
`("getCount", "()I")`. Pre-1.18 snapshot was 1d7ea72.
Adds `examples/ffi-jni-call-04-jint-return.sx` exercising
`#jni_call(s32)(env, target, "getCount", "()I")` inside a runtime-
reachable but never-invoked helper (`g_should_call` stays false, so
the dereferences don't fire). Today the emit_llvm switch falls
through to `LLVMGetUndef` for any non-void return — the IR snapshot
captures that placeholder.
The next commit adds the `.s32 => 49` (CallIntMethod) arm. The
snapshot will update to show the full GetObjectClass → GetMethodID →
CallIntMethod sequence (reusing the slot interning landed in 1.17,
since `("getCount", "()I")` is a fresh literal pair).
Two `#jni_call` sites with the same string-literal `(name, sig)` pair
now share a single `jclass` GlobalRef slot and a single `jmethodID`
slot, populated lazily on the first call to any matching site.
Non-literal sites keep the per-call `GetObjectClass` + `GetMethodID`
sequence from step 1.15.
Per-call-site lowering for literal sites:
%cached_mid = load ptr, @SX_JNI_MID_<key>
%is_cached = icmp ne ptr %cached_mid, null
br i1 %is_cached, cont, miss
miss:
%local_cls = GetObjectClass(env, target)
%global_cls = NewGlobalRef(env, local_cls) ; vtable slot 21
store ptr %global_cls, @SX_JNI_CLS_<key>
%fresh_mid = GetMethodID(env, global_cls, name, sig)
store ptr %fresh_mid, @SX_JNI_MID_<key>
br cont
cont:
%mid = phi ptr [%cached_mid, before], [%fresh_mid, miss]
call <Type>Method(env, target, %mid, args...)
Wiring:
- `JniMsgSend.cache_key: ?CacheKey` (new) carries `(name_str,
sig_str)` when both `name` and `sig` are string-literal AST nodes;
empty for non-literal call sites.
- `lower.zig` populates `cache_key` from the AST.
- `emit_llvm.zig` `getOrCreateJniSlots(name, sig)` returns the
`{cls_slot, mid_slot}` pair, creating and caching them on first
lookup. Key is `name\x00sig` so the separator can't collide with
any JNI identifier byte.
- `mangleJniKey` builds an LLVM-identifier suffix from the pair, used
in the `@SX_JNI_{CLS,MID}_<suffix>` global names.
IR snapshot at `tests/expected/ffi-jni-call-03-methodid-sharing.ir`
updated: two call sites against literal `("noop", "()V")` now share
`@SX_JNI_CLS_noop____V` and `@SX_JNI_MID_noop____V`. Pre-1.17 snapshot
had two independent `GetMethodID` calls; post-1.17 has one global
slot pair plus per-call lazy-init branches.
Note: an unrelated regression in `examples/ffi-objc-call-12-rect-u64-returns.sx`
exists in the working tree (parse error from an in-progress C-import
block) and is left untouched.
Adds `examples/ffi-jni-call-03-methodid-sharing.sx` with two
`#jni_call` sites against the same (class, method, sig). Today each
site emits its own `GetObjectClass` + `GetMethodID` + `Call<Type>Method`
sequence (8 vtable indirections total for the two-call test); 1.17
will collapse the two `GetMethodID` calls into a single cached
`jmethodID` static slot populated at module init, mirroring the
`OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_*` shape that 1.5 introduced for `#objc_call`.
Runtime is a no-op — `unused_jni` is reachable through a
runtime-readable `g_should_call` global that stays false, so the JNI
dereferences never execute. A plain `if false` would get
constant-folded, taking the function definition out of the IR
entirely; the global keeps both the function and its body present
for the IR-snapshot harness.
IR snapshot at `tests/expected/ffi-jni-call-03-methodid-sharing.ir`
locks the pre-caching shape. The next commit (1.17) updates it to the
collapsed shape.
113/113 host tests pass.
Adds `examples/ffi-jni-call-02-void.sx` exercising `#jni_call(void)
(env, target, "name", "sig")` inside an `inline if OS == .android`
arm, plus a new tuple in `tests/cross_compile.sh`. Host run_examples
passes (the inline-if strips the JNI body, leaving "skipped"); the
Android cross-compile FAILs because `lowerFfiIntrinsicCall` still
emits the placeholder diagnostic for any `fic.kind != .objc_call`.
Per the FFI cadence rule this is a test-add (xfail); the next
commit makes the Android cross-compile green by adding the
`.jni_msg_send` opcode and its emit_llvm expansion.
Closes the runtime-verification gap from cluster 1.32. The migrated
`uikit_keyboard_will_change_frame` body uses both shapes but isn't
reached by chess startup (the soft keyboard doesn't open without user
input), so runtime verification was transitive only: `#objc_call(CGRect)`
via the structurally-identical `#objc_call(UIEdgeInsets)` (4×f64 HFA)
in ffi-objc-call-07, and `#objc_call(u64)` via the LLVM-equivalent
`#objc_call(s64)` `hash` test in ffi-objc-call-04.
This example installs two IMPs via `class_addMethod`:
- `rect_imp` returns a CGRect of {10.5, 20.5, 30.5, 40.5} through the
32-byte HFA path (v0..v3 on AAPCS64).
- `u64_imp` returns `0x7FEDCBA987654321` through the i64 path.
`#objc_call(CGRect)` and `#objc_call(u64)` dispatch through them and
the values are printed for snapshot lockdown.
Reused the parser quirk noted in the checkpoint and in 0.1 — integer
literals ≥ 2^63 are rejected even when the receiving type is u64, so
the test value keeps the high bit clear.
111/111 host tests pass.
`collectCaptures` in `src/ir/lower.zig` was the closure free-variable
analyzer that decides which names from a closure body need to be
boxed into the env struct at lambda-build time. Its switch on AST
node kind enumerated every other shape (`.call`, `.if_expr`,
`.match_expr`, `.for_expr`, etc.) but no arm for `.ffi_intrinsic_call`,
so the trailing `else => {}` quietly dropped its `args[]` and
`return_type` walks. Names referenced inside `#objc_call(T)(recv,
"sel:", ...)` from a closure body never made it into the captures
list, so when lowering bound the closure scope from env, those names
came back as "unresolved".
The fix adds the missing arm — walk `return_type` and every `args[i]`
the same way `.call` walks `callee` + `args`.
Companion changes:
- `examples/issue-0038.sx` → `examples/103-ffi-closure-capture.sx`
(out of the open-issue namespace; comment header tightened to
describe the feature, not the historical bug).
- `examples/ffi-objc-call-09-in-construct.sx` drops the
`g_hasher_recv` module-global workaround that was added for this
bug — the closure now captures `recv` from `make_hasher`'s arg
list normally.
Uncomments the second passthrough case in `examples/issue-0038.sx`
that captures `recv` from the enclosing function into a closure body
that uses it inside `#objc_call(s64)(recv, "hash")`. Current behavior
is a hard error from the name-resolution pass:
examples/issue-0038.sx:28:48: error: unresolved: 'recv'
Snapshot locks the failure in (exit 1 + that error message) so the
next commit can flip it to passing without ambiguity. Per the FFI
cadence rule this is a test-add (xfail); the make-green follow-up
adds the missing recursion arm in `lower.zig`'s `collectCaptures` for
`.ffi_intrinsic_call` nodes.
Closes the runtime-verification gap from cluster 1.28: chess startup
doesn't reach the keyboard `becomeFirstResponder` / `resignFirstResponder`
path, so `#objc_call(bool)` was only compile-verified. This example
installs two BOOL-returning IMPs via `class_addMethod` (type encoding
"B@:") and dispatches both through `#objc_call(bool)`. Also exercises
the nil-receiver guarantee (libobjc returns a zero slot, which decodes
as false).
This is a test-add commit (per the FFI cadence rule): it locks in
current behavior without changing any lowering. Lowering shape is
identical to `#objc_call(u8)` at the ABI layer; this test makes the
source-level type explicit and gives `git bisect` a target if a
future emit_llvm change inadvertently breaks single-byte returns.
110/110 host tests pass.
109/109 regression tests pass; chess Android + iOS-sim still
build clean.
Root cause: sx's `xx <ptr>` cast targeting an integer type
(common pattern: `xx u64 = xx @some_global`) lowered to a no-op
because `coerceToType` had branches for int↔float and same-kind
widen/narrow, but nothing for pointer↔integer. The cast left the
value as a pointer Ref, and `emitInst`'s `.ret` arm tried to
coerce a `ptr` value to an `i64` slot — coerceArg had no
ptr↔int branch either, fell through to undef.
Why it worked in main but failed in helpers: an
`alloca u64`+`store ptr @g, alloca`+`load i64, alloca` sequence
preserves the address bits as raw memory, so the
"store-then-load through an alloca" workaround happened to do
the right thing without a real cast. A `ret i64 <ptr>` has no
such intermediate slot and triggers an LLVM type mismatch.
Fix layered into two existing IR opcodes:
lower.zig (coerceToType):
new branch — when src and dst types are ptr↔int, emit a
`bitcast` IR opcode with the right from/to. Mirrors how
int↔float emits `.int_to_float` / `.float_to_int`.
emit_llvm.zig (.bitcast arm):
dispatch ptr→int to `LLVMBuildPtrToInt` (+ trunc/zext if the
target int width != 64), int→ptr to `LLVMBuildIntToPtr`. The
"real bitcast" path stays for same-kind type punning.
Modern LLVM's BuildBitCast rejects ptr↔int directly, hence
the dispatch.
The fix also closes a quiet behavior gap that affected non-`#foreign`
globals (any `xx @<global>` from a helper fn). Surfaced while
investigating issue-0037; verified independently with a
non-`#foreign` sx-side global of type `s64`.
File mechanics: issue-0037 promoted to a focused feature example
per CLAUDE.md's resolution flow:
examples/issue-0037.sx -> examples/102-foreign-global-from-helper.sx
tests/expected/issue-0037.{txt,exit} -> tests/expected/102-foreign-global-from-helper.{txt,exit}
ffi-objc-call-03 + ffi-objc-call-06 IR snapshots updated to
reflect the ptr→int store-via-ptrtoint shape that's now correct
at the LLVM-IR level (same bits in memory, but properly typed).
109/109 host tests pass; tests/cross_compile.sh's first real tuple
(`android | examples/ffi-objc-call-10-os-gate.sx`) compiles
through `sx build --target android` without finding any
`@objc_msgSend` / `@sel_registerName` symbols in the output —
the `inline if OS == .ios { #objc_call(...) }` arm is stripped
at sx compile time before emit_llvm runs, so the Android
toolchain (Bionic + libGLESv3 / NDK linker) doesn't see the
Obj-C runtime references that would otherwise be undefined.
Host (macOS): the example prints "host stripped both" — the iOS
arm is stripped (we're not iOS) AND the Android arm is stripped
(we're not Android), confirming `inline if OS == { case }`
symmetric strip-and-render works around `#objc_call` sites.
The example carries a 3-line `android_main` trampoline so the
NDK linker's `-u ANativeActivity_onCreate` / entry-point
discovery is satisfied — pattern shared with chess + the other
android examples.
108/108 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-09-in-construct,
+issue-0038 from the prior commit).
One trivial Obj-C call (`[obj hash]` returning NSUInteger) routed
through four sx surface constructs:
1. struct method body Probe.fetch
2. protocol impl method body impl Hashable for Probe
3. closure value body make_hasher
4. generic function body hash_through(recv: $T)
No new ABI shapes touched — pins that the `objc_msg_send` lowering
emits identical call shapes regardless of enclosing scope. Each
case validates the result `h_N == h_1` after threading `recv`
appropriately for each context.
The closure path reaches `recv` via a module-level global rather
than capturing the surrounding parameter — issue-0038 (prior
commit) documents the closure free-variable analyzer missing the
`FfiIntrinsicCall` node, with a clean workaround pinned.
Surfaced while writing the Phase 1.11 in-construct test. The
closure free-variable analyzer doesn't recursively visit the
`ffi_intrinsic_call` AST node introduced in Phase 1.1, so any
identifier used inside `#objc_call` / `#jni_call` /
`#jni_static_call` from a closure body trips:
error: unresolved: '<name>'
The same identifier captured from the same scope into a plain
expression resolves fine — so the bug is localized to whatever
recursive arm-walk powers the capture analysis.
Likely fix: add an `ffi_intrinsic_call => { ... }` arm wherever
the `.call =>` arm visits `callee` + `args`. Candidate files:
- src/sema.zig (capture / scope tracking)
- src/ir/lower.zig (closure body lowering / `lowerLambda`)
Both should be checked.
Workaround in the meantime: reach the captured value via a
module-level global from inside the closure body. See the
`g_hasher_recv` pattern in
examples/ffi-objc-call-09-in-construct.sx for an applied
instance.
106/106 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-08-multi-keyword).
`#objc_call(s32)(instance, "combine:and:", 7, 42)` round-trips
end-to-end via class_addMethod-registered IMP that does
`a * 100 + b` → 742. Pins three things:
1. The two-keyword selector "combine:and:" parses, mangles, and
interns under the symbol `@OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_combine_and_`
(every `:` → `_` — matches clang).
2. Multi-arg call lowering correctly puts arg0 / arg1 in the right
slots after recv / sel.
3. The IMP-side sx fn signature `(self, _cmd, a: s32, b: s32)`
with `callconv(.c)` interops with the Obj-C runtime's typical
IMP shape, and the runtime forwards the keyword args to the
right physical positions.
No codegen change — Phase 1.6's variadic-args branch in the
`objc_msg_send` lowering already handled this; this test just
locks in the surface.
105/105 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-07-fp-hfa-return).
Same round-trip pattern as 1.8 — register an Obj-C class at
runtime with class_addMethod, IMP returns specific non-zero values,
#objc_call reads them back — but for an all-double 32 B HFA
instead of a 24 B int aggregate.
Locks in the f32-vs-f64 landmine that bit us when we first
wrote safeAreaInsets in uikit.sx: the homogeneous-float-aggregate
ABI routes 1..4 f32 or f64 fields through v0..v3 (AAPCS64) /
xmm0..xmm3 (SysV AMD64) WITHOUT integer coercion. As long as the
LLVM call-site function type carries the precise struct (which
our `objc_msg_send` arm does), the backend lowers it correctly.
This is the smaller cousin of 1.8 — 1.8 needed an emit_llvm code
change to make the sret transform work; 1.9 needs no codegen
change because HFAs of any size up to v0..v3 stay register-resident.
The test just pins that path with a real, value-bearing IMP so a
future ABI-rule shake-up has a regression net.
104/104 regression tests pass. The Triple round-trip
(triple_imp writes {11, 22, 33} on the IMP side → #objc_call(Triple)
reads them back) is the test of record.
emit_llvm.zig changes:
1. `objc_msg_send` arm — when `needsByval(ret_ty)` (same predicate
the plain-foreign-call path uses), apply the sret transform:
- ret type collapses to void
- prepend a `ptr` param at index 0 (call site provides an
alloca slot)
- mirror `sret(<RetType>)` on the call site so the AArch64 x8
/ SysV-AMD64 hidden-ptr ABI lowers correctly
- load the result from the slot post-call
The IR shape now matches clang exactly:
call void @objc_msgSend(ptr sret({...}) %slot, ptr %recv, ptr %sel)
2. `.ret` arm — the body-side counterpart for sx fns whose declared
return type is sret-shaped (sx-defined IMPs registered via
`class_addMethod` produce these). When the current function's
`needsByval(func.ret)` predicate holds, store the IR ret value
through the prepended sret slot (param 0) and emit `ret void`.
Previously the unconditional coerceArg path turned the struct
value into `undef` and emitted `ret void undef` — illegal LLVM.
Test mechanics: registers `SxTripleProbe : NSObject` at runtime via
`objc_allocateClassPair` + `class_addMethod`, IMP returns
Triple{11, 22, 33}. `#objc_call(Triple)(instance, "tripleValue")`
gets them back, round-trip pinned in the .txt snapshot and the
IR-shape snapshot.
103/103 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-06-sret-return).
The runtime output is misleadingly clean — `[nil tripleValue]`
zeros all three fields because libobjc's nil-stub clears the
return registers. But the IR snapshot reveals the actual ABI
mismatch:
%objc.msg = call { i64, i64, i64 } @objc_msgSend(ptr null, ptr %load)
A live receiver returning a non-zero `Triple` would surface
garbage in the third field — the AArch64 backend lowers
{ i64, i64, i64 } returns to x0/x1 pair + a third register that
the runtime's sret-shaped stub doesn't populate.
Next commit (1.8b): emit_llvm's `objc_msg_send` arm gains the
same sret transform we did for plain `#foreign` calls in Phase
0.3 — ret type collapses to void, prepend a ptr sret param,
alloca the result slot at the call site, mirror the
`sret(<T>)` attribute on the call, load result from the slot
post-call. IR snapshot will flip to:
%slot = alloca <Triple>
call void @objc_msgSend(ptr sret(<Triple>) %slot, ptr null, ptr %load)
%objc.msg = load <Triple>, ptr %slot
103/103 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-05-struct-returns).
Three return shapes all round-trip cleanly with the existing Phase
1.6 `objc_msg_send` lowering — no codegen change needed because
emit_llvm.zig hands the IR struct type straight to LLVMBuildCall2
and the AArch64 / SysV AMD64 backends already know how to lower:
NSPoint — 16 B HFA (2×f64) → v0, v1 (AAPCS64) / xmm0, xmm1 (SysV)
NSRange — 16 B 2×u64 → x0, x1 register pair via [2 x i64]
NSRect — 32 B HFA (4×f64) → v0..v3 (AAPCS64) / xmm0..xmm3 (SysV)
Verified against the Obj-C runtime's `[nil structMethod]`-returns-
zero contract — no real-object setup needed, but the wider ABI
path runs exactly as it would for live receivers (the registers
the runtime stub uses come back through the same lowering).
>16 B non-HFA aggregates (e.g. {3×s64}) trip a sret cliff and
land in Phase 1.8. Verified locally that they return garbage in
the trailing field today — register pair / quad won't carry the
extra storage, and emit_llvm's `objc_msg_send` arm doesn't apply
the sret transform yet.
102/102 regression tests pass; chess Android + iOS-sim still build
clean. `ffi-objc-call-04-primitive-returns` flips from xfail to
passing with both nil-recv and real-recv flavors of *void / s64
returns exercised.
Key change: a new `objc_msg_send` IR opcode bundles (recv, sel,
extra args) and carries the return type via the `Inst.ty` field.
emit_llvm.zig builds a per-call-site LLVM function type from the
argument Refs' IR types (recv/sel as ptr; extra args through
abiCoerceParamType) and dispatches with LLVMBuildCall2. One
declared `@objc_msgSend` symbol is reused across every return
type — opaque pointers make the function value type-erased, so
each call site picks its own ABI.
before: one (recv, sel) -> ptr LLVM declaration, hard-coded
per call site; only void return wired in 1.3.
after: same declaration, each call site provides a fresh
LLVMBuildCall2 fn-type → s64 / *void / bool / f64
returns all dispatch correctly without separate FuncIds.
Selector init mechanism: stayed with the @llvm.global_ctors
constructor. Investigated clang's
`__DATA,__objc_selrefs` + `externally_initialized` shape — works
for fully-linked binaries (dyld substitutes the SEL at load
time) but **LLVM ORC JIT** (the engine behind `sx run`) doesn't
process Mach-O Obj-C metadata sections, so the slot keeps its
initial value (the method-name string pointer) and dispatch
crashes with "<null selector>". The portable choice: keep the
constructor AND inject a direct call to it at `main`'s entry —
idempotent under dyld (sel_registerName returns the same SEL on
re-registration), required for ORC JIT.
Files touched:
src/ir/inst.zig | new ObjcMsgSend struct + opcode
src/ir/lower.zig | drop the void-only restriction; emit the
new opcode; remove the orphaned
getObjcMsgSendFid path (objc_msgSend
declaration moved to emit_llvm)
src/ir/emit_llvm.zig | objc_msg_send arm (per-call-site
LLVMBuildCall2); lazy `@objc_msgSend`
declaration via getObjcMsgSendValue;
emitObjcSelectorInit refactored to inject
the ctor call at main's entry
src/ir/{print,interp}.zig | switch arms for the new opcode
`ffi-objc-call-03-selector-sharing.ir` snapshot updates to
reflect the new shape (the `call ... @objc_msgSend` call sites
no longer mention a typed wrapper).
102/102 regression tests pass (+ffi-objc-call-04-primitive-returns
with xfail snapshot capturing today's diagnostic).
Pinned scenario: `[NSObject class]` — `#objc_call(*void)(null, "class")`.
Should return a non-null Class pointer once the lowering supports
non-void returns. Today the Phase 1.3 restriction trips with:
#objc_call: only `void` return + (recv, selector) is lowered today;
non-void / arg-bearing arities land in later phase-1 steps
The next commit (1.6b) introduces an `objc_msg_send` IR opcode that
bundles (recv, sel, args, ret_ty) and emit_llvm builds a per-call-
site LLVM function type, sharing one declared `@objc_msgSend`
symbol across return-type variants. Five primitive returns
(*void / bool / s32 / s64 / f64) get folded in across 1.6b–c.
101/101 regression tests pass; the IR snapshot for the selector-
sharing test diff flips from four per-call `sel_registerName` calls
to two (one per unique selector) routed through a module-init
constructor — matching what clang emits for `@selector(...)`.
Hot-path cost collapses from a libobjc hashtable lookup per call to
a single load of a static `SEL*` slot:
Before (Phase 1.3):
%sel = call ptr @sel_registerName(<"init">)
call ptr @objc_msgSend(<recv>, %sel)
After (Phase 1.5):
%sel = load ptr, ptr @OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_init
call ptr @objc_msgSend(<recv>, %sel)
+ @OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_init = internal global ptr null
+ @OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_release = internal global ptr null
+ define internal void @__sx_objc_selector_init() {
+ %sel = call ptr @sel_registerName(ptr @OBJC_METH_VAR_NAME_)
+ store ptr %sel, ptr @OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_init
+ %sel1 = call ptr @sel_registerName(ptr @OBJC_METH_VAR_NAME_.2)
+ store ptr %sel1, ptr @OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_release
+ ret void
+ }
+ @llvm.global_ctors = appending global [1 x { i32, ptr, ptr }]
+ [{ ..., ptr @__sx_objc_selector_init, ptr null }]
Implementation:
module.zig | new `objc_selector_cache: ArrayList(ObjcSelectorEntry)`
with `lookupObjcSelector` / `appendObjcSelector`. List
(not hashmap) keeps emit order stable across builds so
the IR snapshot doesn't flicker on rehash.
lower.zig | `internObjcSelector(sel)` creates the slot on first
use, returns the same `GlobalId` on every subsequent
call to the same selector. lowerFfiIntrinsicCall now
emits `global_addr + load` for literal selectors.
Non-literal selectors keep the `sel_registerName`
fallback. Declaring `sel_registerName` lazily on
first intern so emit_llvm finds it for the
constructor body.
emit_llvm.zig | new `emitObjcSelectorInit` pass synthesizes a void
constructor that loops over the cache, calls
`sel_registerName` for each unique selector string,
stores the result in the slot. Constructor is
registered in `@llvm.global_ctors` with default
priority (65535) so dyld runs it before main.
The `@OBJC_METH_VAR_NAME_` private string globals and unnamed-addr
flag match clang's exact emission shape — picked up by the system
linker into the right Mach-O sections on macOS / iOS. Chess
Android + iOS-sim still build clean (no `#objc_call` in chess yet —
phase-3 migration will start exercising this).
run_examples.sh now supports an optional `tests/expected/<name>.ir`
sibling to `.txt`/`.exit`. When present, the runner also captures
`sx ir <file>` output, normalizes target-/host-specific noise
(module ID, target triple/datalayout, attribute groups, LLVM's
auto-suffixed %temp numbering), and diffs against the snapshot.
`--update` regenerates it alongside the runtime output.
Catches lowering changes that don't affect what the program prints
— exactly the shape Phase 1.5's selector interning will produce
(same runtime output, very different IR).
First snapshot: `ffi-objc-call-03-selector-sharing.ir`. Today the
test emits four `call ptr @sel_registerName(ptr @str.N)` lines for
its four call sites; after 1.5 we expect two static
`@OBJC_SELECTOR_REFERENCES_<sel>` globals + loads at each call
site. The diff between the two snapshots will be the visible
artifact of the optimization.
