jolt/.dirge/skills/jolt-compiler/SKILL.md
Yogthos 4ca7c31e50 Route syntax-quote, set!, var, ., new to interpreter
Compile-time implementation of syntax-quote proved too complex for the
current emission pipeline (qualified symbol handling across both
string and data-structure paths). These ops require runtime context
(var lookup, field mutation, deftype construction) and are now correctly
routed to the interpreter via the stateful? check in eval-string.

Also fixed:
- raw-form->janet handles namespace-qualified symbols correctly
- emit-quote-str and emit-quote-expr use raw-form->janet consistently
- Duplicate function definitions removed

All 317 tests pass, 0 failures.
2026-06-02 16:48:10 -04:00

143 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown

---
triggers:
- "compile jolt"
- "jolt compiler"
- "Clojure to Janet compilation"
- "add new op to compiler"
- "fix compiler"
---
# Jolt Compiler
Source-to-source Clojure→Janet compiler. Two-phase: analyze-form (classify + macro expand) → emit-ast (generate).
## Architecture
```
Clojure form → analyze-form [form bindings ctx] → AST {:op ...}
↓ (if head = macro var)
expand → re-analyze expanded form
emit-ast (source string) or emit-expr (data structure)
```
Three public entry points:
- `(compile-form form &opt ctx)` → Janet source string (debug/display)
- `(compile-ast form &opt ctx)` → Janet data structure (for eval)
- `(compile-and-eval form ctx)` → compile-ast + eval
## Why data structures, not source strings
Janet's `eval` does NOT have access to `use`-imported symbols from the calling file. `(eval "(core-inc 1)")` fails with "unknown symbol core-inc". The fix: emit Janet tuples where function VALUES are embedded: `[core-inc 1]`.
```
core-fn-values table: "core-inc" → core-inc (the actual function)
emit-core-symbol-expr → (get core-fn-values janet-name)
```
Source-to-source (`compile-form` + `emit-ast`) still exists for debugging but is NOT used by `compile-and-eval`.
## Macro expansion
`analyze-form` checks whether the head symbol of a list resolves to a macro var before dispatching to special form handling:
1. Look up symbol in current ns → core ns via `resolve-macro`
2. If `var-macro?` is true, call `(var-get macro-var)` to get the fn
3. `(apply macro-fn (tuple/slice form 1))` to expand
4. `(analyze-form expanded ...)` to re-analyze the result
Macros expand at analyze time, before emission. `defn` expands to `(def name (fn* ...))`, `when` to `(if test (do ...) nil)`, etc.
## Symbol classification (in analyze-form)
Order: qualified ns → local binding → core-symbol → bare symbol
```
(if (form :ns) → :qualified-symbol
(get bindings name) → :local
(get core-renames name) → :core-symbol
→ :symbol)
```
core-renames MUST match actual fn names: `"-"``"core-sub"` (not `"core--"`), `"not"``"core-not"`. Verify against `core.janet` bindings.
## core-fn-values
Maps Janet string names to actual function values. Must be kept in sync with core-renames. When adding a new core fn, update BOTH tables.
Functions that need special mapping (name differs):
- `"apply"``apply` (Janet built-in)
- `"-"``"core-sub"` (not `core--`)
- `"some"``core-some?` (shared with `core-some?`)
- `"pr-str"``core-str` (alias)
- `"nth"``core-nth` (separate function, added in Phase 6)
- `"list"``core-list`, `"name"``core-name`, `"subs"``core-subs`
## Loop/recur compilation
`loop*` emits a self-referential closure:
```janet
(do (var _loop_N nil)
(set _loop_N (fn [params] body))
(_loop_N init-vals...))
```
`recur` saves `:loop-name` in the AST (looked up from bindings `:jolt/current-loop`), then `emit-recur-expr` rewrites to `(loop-name arg1 arg2...)`.
In the string emitter, recur similarly emits `(loop-name arg ...)`.
## Throw/try compilation
- `throw``(error val)` in Janet
- `try/catch``(try body ([err] handler-body))` — NOTE: Janet uses `([sym] handler)` format, NOT `(catch sym handler)`
- `try/finally` → appends do-block after catch clause in the Janet tuple
## Quote in data-structure emitter
Don't re-analyze quoted forms. Use `raw-form->janet` to pass Jolt reader forms through verbatim to Janet's `quote`:
```
(emit-quote-expr expr) → ['quote (raw-form->janet expr)]
```
raw-form->janet converts symbols to Janet symbols, arrays/tuples recursively.
## Remaining ops (interpreter only)
`syntax-quote`, `set!`, `deftype`, `defmulti`, `defmethod` — these are stateful or complex and always use the interpreter path even in compile mode.
## Stateful forms (must use interpreter, NOT compiler)
These forms modify context state and cannot be compiled:
- `defmacro`, `ns`, `deftype`, `defmulti`, `defmethod`, `require`, `in-ns`
Note: `def` IS handled by the compiler (compiles to Janet `def`, since macros are expanded at analyze time).
## eval-string dispatch (compile mode)
```janet
(if (or (= head-name "defmacro") (= head-name "ns")
(= head-name "deftype") (= head-name "defmulti") (= head-name "defmethod")
(= head-name "require") (= head-name "in-ns"))
(eval-form ctx @{} form) ; interpret
(compile-and-eval form ctx)) ; compile
## Adding a new op
1. Add `analyze-form` match arm for the special form
2. Add `emit-ast` match arm (source string path)
3. Add `emit-expr` match arm (data structure path)
4. Add `core-renames` entry if it's a core fn (name → Janet string name)
5. Add `core-fn-values` entry (Janet string name → actual fn value)
6. Add tests in `test/compiler-test.janet`
## Test files
- `test/compiler-test.janet` — Phase 2-5 tests (source output + compile-eval + macro tests)
- `test/phase6-final.janet` — Phase 6 comprehensive compile-mode tests (47 assertions)
Run: `janet test/compiler-test.janet` or `janet test/phase6-final.janet` or `jpm test`
- Source output tests: `(assert (= "(expected)" (compile-str "(input)")) "label")`
- Round-trip tests: `(assert (= val (compile-eval-str "(input)")) "label")`
- Compile flag tests: `(eval-string ctx "(input)")` with `{:compile? true}`
Run: `janet test/compiler-test.janet` or `jpm test`