[Vm-dev] Underscore for assignment in VMMaker and related plugins

[Juan Vuletich]

Hi Folks,

I have just pushed an update to VectorEnginePlugin.pck.st at the 
Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev Cuis repo to use only ANSI style assignment ' := '. 
In my system, generated C source is exactly the same as before.

Thank you all for your help in integrating this in the official VMs!

Cheers,

-- 
Juan Vuletich
www.cuis-smalltalk.org
https://github.com/Cuis-Smalltalk/Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev
https://github.com/jvuletich
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-vuletich-75611b3
@JuanVuletich


On 8/11/2021 4:14 AM, Marcel Taeumel wrote:

> Hi Juan!
>
> > [...] I'll happy to make the change.
>
> This would be the easiest solution. :-) Thank you!
>
> Hi Eliot!
>
> > [...] the class side method must be loaded before methods containing 
> a underscore assignments [...]
>
> Currently, Squeak+Monticello give only coarse-grained control over 
> code load order:
>
> - Packages can be ordered via MC "dependencies" (see "required 
> packages" in context menu)
> - Packages can be ordered in an update map / MCConfiguration
> - MCPackageLoader implements some generic rules such as 
> "addition-before-removal", which affects "move methods" across 
> packages (see MCPackageLodaer >> #basicLoad)
>
> So, even the #compilerClass hook is currently not working as one might 
> expect. We currently rely on the byte code being present in and 
> installed from .mcz files. See snapshot.bin inside the .mcz.
>
> Maybe also see MethodAddition >> #notifyObservers.
>
> Best,
> Marcel
>>
>> Am 10.08.2021 19:21:48 schrieb Juan Vuletich <juanvuletich at zoho.com>:
>>
>>
>> Hi Folks,
>>
>> On 8/10/2021 1:40 PM, Eliot Miranda wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi Dave, Hi Marcel,
>> >
>> >> On Aug 8, 2021, at 5:40 PM, David T. Lewiswrote:
>> >>
>> >> 
>> >> Background: By convention the assignment operator in modern day Squeak
>> >> is ':=' and it Cuis it is '_'. The actual fonts are rendered nicely in
>> >> either case for Cuis and Squeak.
>> >>
>> >> The VMs used for Cuis and Squeak consist of the VM proper along 
>> with various
>> >> VM plugins such as OSProcessPlugin and VectorEnginePlugin. The VM 
>> plugins
>> >> are written in Smalltalk ("slang") with supporting external code 
>> as needed.
>> >> The Smalltalk code for each VM plugin is translated to C code, and the
>> >> resulting C code is expected to be correct regardless of the 
>> dialect of
>> >> Squeak/Cuis in which the plugin is written.
>> >>
>> >> The generated C code for a VM plugin is the same regardless of 
>> whether the
>> >> Smalltalk source is written in the '_' or ':=' convention. 
>> However, mixing
>> >> these two conventions in the same VMMaker image may be confusing, 
>> especially
>> >> if the (Squeak) image has disabled its 'Allow underscore 
>> selectors' preference.
>> >>
>> >> OK, enough background. The question I want to present is this:
>> >>
>> >> The new VectorEnginePlugin is being developed in Cuis, and 
>> therefore uses
>> >> the '_' convention in its Smalltalk source code. When building a new
>> >> opensmalltalk-vm VMMaker image from primary sources, the 'Allow 
>> underscore
>> >> selectors' preference' is disabled, presumably in order to catch 
>> VM plugin
>> >> code that accidentally uses the '_' convention. However, in the 
>> case of
>> >> VectorEnginePlugin, the use of '_' is intentional, and we can 
>> expect it
>> >> to be used for current and future versions of the plugin Smalltalk 
>> code
>> >> as development proceeds.
>> >>
>> >> So should we:
>> >>
>> >> 1) Relax the restriction and allow VectorEnginePlugin to be loaded 
>> without
>> >> modification in a VMMaker image
>> >>
>> >> or:
>> >>
>> >> 2) Convert current and future versions of the VectorEnginePlugin 
>> Smalltalk
>> >> to use ':=' for assigments prior to loading in a Squeak VMMaker image
>> >> (method author/timestamps would be preserved).
>> >>
>> >> I personally prefer 1) but consider either option to be reasonable 
>> and doable.
>> >>
>> >> Comments? Preferences?
>> > My preference is 1a :-). 1a is supporting a Compiler patch that 
>> allows one to assert the 'Allow underscore selectors' preference on a 
>> per-class basis and adding some class side state (a method? A method 
>> containing a pragma?) to VectorEnginePlugin that asserts the 
>> preference. Maybe this is too elaborate, and there’s a bootstrap 
>> problem (the class side method must be loaded before methods 
>> containing a underscore assignments) but I like not having the 
>> preference globally.
>> >
>> >> Dave
>>
>> I can change VectorEnginePlugin to use only ':=' assignments. I used '_'
>> assignments only because it is what I am used to. But this is code that
>> is meant to be used in Squeak and not only in Cuis. Dave, unless you see
>> additional value in allowing '_' assignment in plugin code, I'll happy
>> to make the change.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> -- 
>> Juan Vuletich
>> www.cuis-smalltalk.org
>> https://github.com/Cuis-Smalltalk/Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev
>> https://github.com/jvuletich
>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/juan-vuletich-75611b3
>> @JuanVuletich
>>


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