[Vm-beginners] Two Questions

[Chris Cunnington]

1. Why is #dispatchOn:in: , which looks to be the heart of 
Interpreter>>#interpret,  in a subclass InterpeterSimulation? That class 
is likely only used if there is a simulation going on, yet the essential 
#dispatchOn:in: is in the subclass, where I'd suppose it can't be reached.

2. What is the specialObjectsOop? It's a number. OK, what what is the 
context of that number? It's not some memory address in RAM, because I 
think we're abstracted above that. And the oopMap I'm looking at 
MicroSqueak is an IdentitySet. Something is amiss here. This 
specialObjectsOop is not fish (RAM memory) and it's not fowl (an object).

I'd suppose the point of the specialObjectsOop is as a starting point. 
You load the SpecialObjectsArray into the ObjectMemory and I guess you 
do that by saying "start here" with the specialObjectsOop. What is the 
context of that number? Is there a bank of addresses in the object 
memory or interpreter that simulate the memory addresses of the RAM?

Any help would be greatly appreciated,


Chris