From 37b9da32d3b911091deb254f6cba2a137c471287 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Marc Vertes <marc.vertes@tendermint.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2023 10:51:58 +0200
Subject: move to a direct byte code compiler (#8)

* chore: refactor to keep only the new parser and bytecode vm

* scanner: remove Token.value field

* scanner: remove scanner.kind field

* chore: move language specification in lang package

This avoid a cyclic dependency in scanner_test which can now use
the golang/GoSpec language specification for Go.

* clean code

* scanner: export scanner fields

Also parser now generate function calls, including externals.

* chore: fix lint issues

* parser: handle strings

* wip

* parser: implement support for 'if, else, else if' statements

Resolving labels in the compiler still in progress.

* parser: support if statements, improve compiler

* improve handling of functions

* improve support of local variables

* scanner: trim leading and trailing spaces

* fixes to make fibonacci work

* parser: improve README, fix function parameters parsing
---
 vm/README.md | 38 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 38 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 vm/README.md

(limited to 'vm/README.md')

diff --git a/vm/README.md b/vm/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92b1ac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vm/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# vm
+
+`vm` is a bytecode based stack machine.
+
+The purpose of `vm` is to provide a simple, fast, embeddable and
+portable Go execution environment.
+
+```mermaid
+graph LR
+s[ ] --> |source| a(scanner)
+--> |tokens| b(parser)
+--> |AST| c(codegen)
+--> |bytecode| d[vm]
+subgraph vm
+    d
+end
+style s height:0px;
+```
+
+The bytecode consists of a dozen of instructions, each taking 0 or 1
+immediate argument (non-immediate arguments are only passed through the
+stack). Only a few operators for a few types are implemented. I expect
+to have 1 instruction per operator per numerical type, all with the same
+pattern, which would be generated from a template. Estimate is around 20
+operators and 10 numerical types, so around 200 instructions in final.
+
+Structurally, the vm implements logical and arithmetic operators,
+condional jumps for `if`, `for` and `switch` control flow, and function
+call, return and frame management.
+
+the memory state of the vm is a slice of Go interfaces (`[]any`).
+
+The whole vm is coded in a single function of 80 lines with no
+dependencies. The size will grow as we add missing instructions, but the
+code complexity will remain the same.
+
+the vm1 package is totally standalone and could be used for any purpose
+outside of parscan and/or gno.
-- 
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