[Vm-dev] [VM-Team] Suggested task list for VM-Team, summer 2009

[Eliot Miranda]

Hi David,

On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 11:05 AM, David T. Lewis <lewis at mail.msen.com>wrote:

>
> Here is a list of VM updates that I think would be reasonable to accomplish
> over the next couple of months. This is based on known issues (Mantis) with
> solutions that are either available now, or that can be completed without
> significant additional work. Comments? Additions or changes?
>
> Dave
>
> 1) Closure support.
>  - Priority: High, should be done as soon as possible
>  - All major VM distributions should support images with closure bytecodes.
>  - Current status: All necessary support incorporated in VMMaker, no
> platforms
>   changes needed.
>  - Need Ian to do a build/release to cover Unix/Linux.


Agreed.  There is an additional task which should be ready in August (sorry
it is taking so long but we have other priorities) and that is using the
Stack VM which is substantially faster (~ 20%) and a step towards the Cogit
which is a lot faster.

2) Changes to support Etoys and teaching for kids.
>  - Priority: High, supports large educational programs.
>  - Mantis 7266: SerialPlugin doesn't handle arbitrary nodes names
>  - Mantis 7103: Playing sounds in linux 64 bits causes a vm segmentation
> fault
>  - Current status: These require changes to VMMaker and platforms sources,
>   all platforms effected. Changes are straightforward but must be done in a
>   coordinated manner for all platforms.
>
> 3) Some simple updates for 23/64 bit platforms.
>  - Priority: Low
>  - Mantis 7236: Make AsynchFilePlugin work on 32/64 bit images and 32/64
> bit unix VMs
>  - Mantis 6828: make FileCopyPlugin work on 32/64 bit images and 32/64 bit
> unix VMs
>  - Current status: These are minor updates, low priority but easy to do.
> Patches
>   are available but must be coordinated for all platforms.


I'm currently working on some stuff that might affect this but there's no
guarantee that we'll release it.  So I agree priority is low.

4) 64-bit FFI (Interpreter updates as well as FFI)
>  - Priority: Medium
>  - Mantis 7237: Make FFI work on 64 bit platforms
>  - Current status: Patches are available, but additional work and testing
> may
>   be required on some platforms. I consider this update important because
> it
>   effects the interpreter as well as FFI itself, e.g. these changes are
>   a prerequisite to closing out the issues in Mantis 6987:
> "signed32BitValueOf:,
>   signed64BitValueOf: etc. broken".


best
Eliot
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