init in compile mode is ~2.4 s (tier loading, analyzer self-compile, macro
recompilation), paid by every process that builds a ctx from source — each
jpm-test file, embedders, workers. init-cached marshals the built ctx to a
disk image (same root-env dicts as snapshot/fork) and later processes
unmarshal it in ~5 ms, any process: nothing from the baking process is
needed at load.
The cache key fingerprints the embedded .clj stdlib (which covers jolt-core:
analyzer, IR, core tiers), the .janet seed sources next to the module, the
janet version, the init opts, and the env knobs that shape a ctx (JOLT_PATH/
MUTABLE/AOT_CORE/FEATURES) — any change rebuilds. Corrupt or non-ctx images
fall back to a rebuild (unmarshal of garbage can 'succeed' with a scalar, so
the shape is checked, not just the throw). Writes are atomic (tmp + rename)
so racing cold starts never publish a torn image. JOLT_NO_IMAGE_CACHE=1
opts out; JOLT_IMAGE_CACHE_DIR overrides the location (default TMPDIR).
Test consumers switch to init-cached (harness, suite-worker, conformance,
the behavioral unit/integration tests); tests that validate the bootstrap
itself (bootstrap-fixpoint, staged-bootstrap, aot round-trip, direct-linking)
and the deps tests (tmp-dir :paths would fragment the key) keep real init.
Full jpm test: 2:46 -> 1:58 (~29%). New ctx-image-test covers cold/warm,
cross-process load (subprocess runs defn/redef/macros/protocols/multimethods
off the baked image), per-opts keying, and corrupt-image fallback.
Reorganize the flat 49-file test/ into three layers (jpm test recurses, so all
are still discovered):
- test/unit/ white-box component tests (reader, evaluator, types,
persistent-map, lazy-seq, macro, interop, compiler)
- test/integration/ cross-cutting + regression batteries (conformance, jank,
sci-bootstrap/runtime, features, systematic-coverage, api,
core, namespaces, ported clojure suites) and
.../ports/ ported clojure/cljs test batches pending consolidation
- test/spec/ the behavioral contract (built out in following commits)
- test/support/harness.janet shared defspec table runner (cases compared via
Jolt's own =, with a :throws sentinel) + expect= helpers
Files moved with git mv (history preserved) and import paths fixed for depth.
jpm test green. README Test section updated.
Next: build out test/spec/ to cover the public API area-by-area, mining the
integration batteries and filling gaps.
