This once again does NOT compile. I've done work on macros; they don't work yet..

src/c/io/fopen.h

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * fopen.h
+ * io/fopen.h
  *
  * adapted from https://curl.haxx.se/libcurl/c/fopen.html.
  *

src/c/io/print.c

@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+/**
+ *  io/print.c
+ *
+ *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: print.
+ *
+ *  Print basic Lisp objects..This is :bootstrap layer print; it needs to be 
+ *  able to print characters, symbols, integers, lists and dotted pairs. I 
+ *  don't think it needs to be able to print anything else.
+ *
+ *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
+ *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
+ */
+
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+/*
+ * wide characters
+ */
+#include <wchar.h>
+#include <wctype.h>
+
+#include "io/fopen.h"
+
+#include "memory/pointer.h"
+#include "memory/pso.h"
+#include "memory/pso2.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h"
+
+#include "payloads/character.h"
+#include "payloads/cons.h"
+#include "payloads/integer.h"
+
+struct pso_pointer in_print( pso_pointer p, URL_FILE * stream);
+
+struct pso_pointer print_list_content( pso_pointer p, URL_FILE * stream) {
+   struct pso_pointer result = nil;
+
+    if (consp(p)) {
+        for (; consp( p); p = cdr(p)) {
+            stuct pso2* object = pointer_to_object(cursor);
+ 
+            result = in_print( object->payload.cons.car, stream);
+
+            if (exceptionp(result)) break;
+
+            switch (get_tag_value(object->payload.cons.cdr)) {
+                case NILTV :
+                    break;
+                case CONSTV :
+                    url_fputwc( L'\ ', output );
+                    break;
+                default :
+                    url_fputws( L" . ", output);
+                    result = in_print( object->payload.cons.cdr, stream);
+            }
+
+        }
+
+        struct pso_pointer cdr = object->payload.cons.cdr;
+        
+        switchb( get)
+    } else {
+        // TODO: return exception
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+struct pso_pointer in_print( pso_pointer p, URL_FILE * stream) {
+    stuct pso2* object = pointer_to_object(p);
+    struct pso_pointer result = nil;
+
+    if )object != NULL) {
+        switch (get_tag_value( p)) {
+            case CHARACTERTV :
+                url_fputwc( object->payload.character.character, output);
+                break;
+            case CONSTV :
+                url_fputwc( L'\(', output );
+                result = print_list_content( object, stream);
+                url_fputwc( L'\)', output );
+                break;
+            case INTEGERTV :
+                fwprintf( output, "%d", (int64_t)(object->payload.integer.value));
+                break;
+            case TRUETV :
+                url_fputwc( L'\t', output );
+                break;
+            case NILTV :
+                url_fputws( L"nil", output );
+            default :
+                // TODO: return exception
+        }
+    } else {
+                // TODO: return exception
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @brief Simple print for bootstrap layer.
+ * 
+ * @param p pointer to the object to print.
+ * @param stream if a pointer to an open write stream, print to there.
+ * @return struct pso_pointer `nil`, or an exception if some erroe occurred.
+ */
+struct pso_pointer print( pso_pointer p, pso_pointer stream) {
+    URL_FILE *output = writep( stream) ? 
+        pointer_to_object( stream )->payload.stream.stream: 
+        stdout;
+
+    if ( writep( stream)) { inc_ref( stream); }
+
+    struct pso_pointer result = in_print(p, output);
+
+    if ( writep( stream)) { dec_ref( stream); }
+
+    return result;
+}

src/c/io/print.h

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/**
+ *  io/print.c
+ *
+ *  Post Scarcity Software Environment: print.
+ *
+ *  Print basic Lisp objects..This is :bootstrap layer print; it needs to be 
+ *  able to print characters, symbols, integers, lists and dotted pairs. I 
+ *  don't think it needs to be able to print anything else.
+ *
+ *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
+ *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __psse_io_print_h
+#define __psse_io_print_h
+
+struct pso_pointer print( pso_pointer p, pso_pointer stream);
+
+#endif

src/c/memory/page.c

@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+
 #include "debug.h"
+
 #include "memory/memory.h"
 #include "memory/node.h"
 #include "memory/page.h"
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@
 #include "memory/psod.h"
 #include "memory/psoe.h"
 #include "memory/psof.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h"
+
 #include "payloads/free.h"
 
 /**

src/c/memory/pso.c

@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include "memory/page.h"
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h"
+
 #include "ops/truth.h"
 
  /**
@@ -171,20 +173,3 @@ void lock_object( struct pso_pointer pointer ) {
 }
 
 
-/**
- * @brief Get the numeric value of the tag bytes of the object indicated
- * by this pointer
- * 
- * @param pointer a pointer to an object.
- * @return the tag value of the object indicated.
- */
-uint32_t get_tag_value( struct pso_pointer pointer ) {
-    struct pso2 *object = pointer_to_object( pointer );
-    uint32_t result = ( object->header.tag.value & 0xffffff );
-
-    if ( vectorpointp( pointer ) ) {
-        result = ( object->payload.vectorp.tag.value & 0xffffff );
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}

src/c/memory/pso.h

@@ -251,6 +251,6 @@ struct pso_pointer inc_ref( struct pso_pointer pointer );
 
 void lock_object( struct pso_pointer pointer);
 
-uint32_t get_tag_value( struct pso_pointer pointer);
+// uint32_t get_tag_value( struct pso_pointer pointer);
 
 #endif

src/c/memory/pso2.h

@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include "memory/header.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h"
+
 #include "payloads/character.h"
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
 #include "payloads/free.h"

src/c/memory/tags.h

@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+/**
+ *  memory/tags.h
+ *
+ *  Tags for all page space and vector objects known to the bootstrap layer.
+ *
+ *  All macros!
+ *
+ *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
+ *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __psse_memory_tags_h
+#define __psse_memory_tags_h
+
+#define TAGLENGTH 3
+
+#define CONSTAG     "CNS"
+#define EXCEPTIONTAG "EXP"
+#define FREETAG     "FRE"
+#define FUNCTIONTAG "FUN"
+#define HASHTAG     "HTB"
+#define INTEGERTAG  "INT"
+#define KEYTAG	    "KEY"
+#define LAMBDATAG   "LMD"
+#define LOOPTAG     "LOP"
+#define LAZYCONSTAG "LZY"
+#define LAZYSTRTAG  "LZS"
+#define LAZYWRKRTAG "WRK"
+#define MUTEXTAG    "MTX"
+#define NAMESPACETAG "NSP"
+#define NILTAG      "NIL"
+#define NLAMBDATAG  "NLM"
+#define RATIOTAG    "RAT"
+#define READTAG     "RED"
+#define REALTAG     "REA"
+#define SPECIALTAG  "SFM"
+#define STACKTAG    "STK"
+#define STRINGTAG   "STR"
+#define SYMBOLTAG   "SYM"
+#define TIMETAG     "TIM"
+#define TRUETAG     "TRU"
+#define VECTORTAG   "VEC"
+#define VECTORPOINTTAG "VSP"
+#define WRITETAG    "WRT"
+
+// TODO: all these tag values are WRONG, recalculate!
+
+#define CONSTV      5459523
+#define EXCEPTIONTV 5265477
+#define FREETV      4543046
+#define FUNCTIONTV  5133638
+#define HASHTV      4346952
+#define INTEGERTV   5525065
+#define KEYTV       5850443
+#define LAMBDATV    4345164
+#define LOOPTV      5263180
+#define MUTEXTV     5788749
+#define NAMESPACETV 5264206
+#define NILTV       4999502
+#define NLAMBDATV   5065806
+#define RATIOTV     5521746
+#define READTV      4474194
+#define REALTV      4277586
+#define SPECIALTV   5064275
+#define STACKTV     4936787
+#define STRINGTV    5395539
+#define SYMBOLTV    5069139
+#define TIMETV      5065044
+#define TRUETV      5591636
+#define VECTORTV    4408662
+#define VECTORPOINTTV 5264214
+#define WRITETV     5264214
+
+#define consp(p)    (check_tag(p,CONSTV))
+#define exceptionp(p) (check_tag(p,EXCEPTIONTV))
+#define freep(p)    (check_tag(p,FREETV))
+#define functionp(p) (check_tag(p,FUNCTIONTV))
+#define integerp(p) (check_tag(p,INTEGERTV))
+#define keywordp(p) (check_tag(p,KEYTV))
+#define lambdap(p)  (check_tag(p,LAMBDATV))
+#define loopp(p)    (check_tag(p,LOOPTV))
+#define namespacep(p)(check_tag(p,NAMESPACETV))
+// the version of nilp in ops/truth.c is better than this, because it does not
+// require a fetch, and will see nils curated by other nodes as nil.
+// #define nilp(p)     (check_tag(p,NILTV))
+#define numberp(p)  (check_tag(p,INTEGERTV)||check_tag(p,RATIOTV)||check_tag(p,REALTV))
+#define ratiop(p)   (check_tag(p,RATIOTV))
+#define readp(p)    (check_tag(p,READTV))
+#define realp(p)    (check_tag(p,REALTV))
+#define sequencep(p) (check_tag(p,CONSTV)||check_tag(p,STRINGTV)||check_tag(p,SYMBOLTV))
+#define specialp(p) (check_tag(p,SPECIALTV))
+#define streamp(p)  (check_tag(p,READTV)||check_tag(p,WRITETV))
+#define stringp(p)  (check_tag(p,STRINGTV))
+#define symbolp(p)  (check_tag(p,SYMBOLTV))
+#define timep(p)    (check_tag(p,TIMETV))
+// the version of truep in ops/truth.c is better than this, because it does not
+// require a fetch, and will see ntsils curated by other nodes as t.
+// #define tp(p)       (check_tag(p,TRUETV))
+// #define truep(p) (  !check_tag(p,NILTV))
+#define vectorpointp(p) (check_tag(p,VECTORPOINTTV))
+#define vectorp(p) (check_tag(p,VECTORTV))
+#define writep(p)   (check_tag(p,WRITETV))
+
+/**
+ * @brief return the numerical value of the tag of the object indicated by 
+ * pointer `p`.
+ * 
+ * @param p must be a struct pso_pointer, indicating the appropriate object.
+ *
+ * @return the numerical value of the tag, as a uint32_t.
+ */
+#define get_tag_value(p)((pointer_to_object(p)->header.tag.value) & 0xffffff)
+
+/**
+ * @brief check that the tag of the object indicated by this poiner has this 
+ * value.
+ *
+ * @param p must be a struct pso_pointer, indicating the appropriate object.
+ * @param v should be an integer, ideally uint32_t, the expected value of a tag.
+ * 
+ * @return true if the tag at p matches v, else false.
+ */
+#define check_tag(p,v) (get_tag_value(p) == v)
+
+#endif

src/c/ops/eval.c

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso4.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h"
+
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
 #include "payloads/exception.h"
 #include "payloads/function.h"

src/c/payloads/cons.c

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso.h"
 #include "memory/pso2.h"
+#include "memory/tags.h" 
 #include "payloads/cons.h"
 
 /**
@@ -36,17 +37,6 @@ struct pso_pointer cons( struct pso_pointer car, struct pso_pointer cdr ) {
     return result;
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief return true if `ptr` indicates a cons cell, else false.
- * 
- * @param ptr a pointer.
- * @return true if `ptr` indicates a cons cell.
- * @return false otherwise
- */
-bool consp( struct pso_pointer ptr ) {
-    // TODO: make it actually work!
-    return false;
-}
 
 /**
  * @brief return the car of this cons cell.

src/c/payloads/cons.h

@@ -13,11 +13,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * An ordinary cons cell:
- */
-#define CONSTAG     "CNS"
-#define CONSTV      5459523
 
 /**
  * @brief A cons cell.

src/c/payloads/exception.c

@@ -12,10 +12,3 @@
 #include "memory/pso.h"
 #include "payloads/exception.h"
 
-/**
- * @param p a pointer to an object.
- * @return true if that object is an exception, else false.
- */
-bool exceptionp( struct pso_pointer p ) {
-    return ( get_tag_value( p ) == EXCEPTIONTV );
-}

src/c/payloads/exception.h

@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-#define EXCEPTIONTAG "EXP"
-#define EXCEPTIONTV  5265477
-
 /**
  * @brief An exception; required three pointers, so use object of size class 3.
  */
@@ -28,6 +25,4 @@ struct exception_payload {
     struct pso_pointer cause;
 };
 
-bool exceptionp( struct pso_pointer p );
-
 #endif

src/c/payloads/free.h

@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * @brief Tag for an unassigned object; may be of any size class.
- */
-#define FREETAG     "FRE"
-#define FREETV      4543046
-
 /**
  * @brief An unassigned object, on a freelist; may be of any size class.
  * 

src/c/payloads/function.h

@@ -13,14 +13,6 @@
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 #include "memory/pso4.h"
 
-/**
- * @brief Tag for an ordinary Lisp function - one whose arguments are pre-evaluated.
- * \see LAMBDATAG for interpretable functions.
- * \see SPECIALTAG for functions whose arguments are not pre-evaluated.
- */
-#define FUNCTIONTAG "FUN"
-#define FUNCTIONTV  5133638
-
 /**
  * @brief Payload of a function cell.
  * `source` points to the source from which the function was compiled, or NIL

src/c/payloads/hashtable.h

@@ -32,13 +32,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * @brief Tag for an ordinary Lisp hashtable - one whose contents are immutable.
- * \see NAMESPACETAG for mutable hashtables.
- */
-#define HASHTABLETAG "HTB"
-#define HASHTABLETV  4346952
-
 /**
  * The payload of a hashtable. The number of buckets is assigned at run-time,
  * and is stored in n_buckets. Each bucket is something ASSOC can consume:

src/c/payloads/integer.h

@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-#define INTEGERTAG "INT"
-#define INTEGERTV  5525065
-
 /**
  * @brief An integer .
  *

src/c/payloads/keyword.h

@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * Tag for a keyword - an interned, self-evaluating string.
- */
-#define KEYTAG	    "KEY"
-#define KEYTV       5850443
-
 /* TODO: for now, Keyword shares a payload with String, but this may change.
  * Strings are of indefinite length, but keywords are really not, and might
  * fit into any size class. */

src/c/payloads/mutex.h

@@ -14,14 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * @brief Tag for mutex cell. mutexes are thread-safe locks, required by 
- * mutable objects.
- * \see FUNCTIONTAG.
- */
-#define MUTEXTAG  "MTX"
-#define MUTEXTV   5788749
-
 /**
  * @brief payload for mutex objects.
  *

src/c/payloads/namespace.h

@@ -35,13 +35,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * @brief Tag for a Lisp namespace - a hashtable whose contents are mutable.
- * \see HASHTABLETAG for mutable hashtables.
- */
-#define NAMESPACETAG "NSP"
-#define NAMESPACETV  5264206
-
 /**
  * The payload of a namespace. The number of buckets is assigned at run-time,
  * and is stored in n_buckets. Each bucket is something ASSOC can consume:

src/c/payloads/nlambda.h

@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * An ordinary nlambda cell:
- */
-#define NLAMBDATAG     "NLM"
-#define NLAMBDATV      5065806
-
 /* nlambda shares a payload with lambda */
 
 #endif

src/c/payloads/psse-string.h

@@ -17,13 +17,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-
-/**
- * @brief Tag for string of characters, organised as a linked list.
- */
-#define STRINGTAG   "STR"
-#define STRINGTV    5395539
-
 /**
  * @brief payload of a string cell. 
  *

src/c/payloads/read_stream.h

@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@
 #include "io/fopen.h"
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-/**
- * An open read stream.
- */
-#define READTAG     "REA"
-#define READTV      4277586
-
 /**
  * payload of a read or write stream cell.
  */

src/c/payloads/special.h

@@ -21,7 +21,5 @@
  * provided.
  * \see NLAMBDATAG.
  */
-#define SPECIALTAG  "SFM"
-#define SPECIALTV   5064275
 
 #endif

src/c/payloads/stack.h

@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@
 #define __psse_payloads_stack_h
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
-// #include "memory/pso4.h"
-
-#define STACKTAG "STK"
-#define STACKTV  4936787
 
 /*
  * number of arguments stored in a stack frame

src/c/payloads/symbol.h

@@ -12,13 +12,6 @@
 
 #include "memory/pointer.h"
 
-
-/**
- * Tag for a symbol: just like a keyword except not self-evaluating.
- */
-#define SYMBOLTAG   "SYM"
-#define SYMBOLTV    5069139
-
 /* TODO: for now, Symbol shares a payload with String, but this may change.
  * Strings are of indefinite length, but symbols are really not, and might
  * fit into any size class. */

src/c/payloads/vector_pointer.c

@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-/**
- *  payloads/vector_pointer.c
- *
- *  A pointer to an object in vector space.
- *
- *  (c) 2026 Simon Brooke <simon@journeyman.cc>
- *  Licensed under GPL version 2.0, or, at your option, any later version.
- */
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-#include "memory/pso.h"
-#include "payloads/vector_pointer.h"
-
-bool vectorpointp( struct pso_pointer p ) {
-    return ( get_tag_value( p ) == VECTORPOINTTV );
-}

src/c/payloads/vector_pointer.h

@@ -39,6 +39,4 @@ struct vectorp_payload {
     void *address;
 };
 
-bool vectorpointp( struct pso_pointer p );
-
 #endif

src/c/payloads/write_stream.h

@@ -10,14 +10,5 @@
 #ifndef __psse_payloads_write_stream_h
 #define __psse_payloads_write_stream_h
 
-#include "io/fopen.h"
-#include "memory/pointer.h"
-
-/**
- * @brief Tag for an open write stream.
- */
-#define WRITETAG    "WRT"
-#define WRITETV     5264214
-
 /* write stream shares a payload with /see read_streem.h */
 #endif