[Vm-dev] defensive error checking in a BlockContext environment for [:n | n = 1 ifTrue: [1] ifFalse:[(factorial value: n-1) * n]]

gettimothy gettimothy at zoho.com
Sun Dec 15 16:25:33 UTC 2013


Please shoot this down, if it is incorrect. (no details necessary, just a yes,no is sufficient)

In the discussion on the re-entrant problem for BlockContexts regarding this code:

        | factorial |
         factorial := [:n| n = 1 ifTrue: [1] ifFalse: [(factorial value: n - 1) * n]].
         (1 to: 10) collect: factorial

This statement: "The block can’t be reentered without overwriting the sender field, preventing return to the first caller. "

Does not mean that the bock is reentered, the sender field is over-written and when we get to n=10 stage things go kablooie.
What happens is the coders detect this condition and the primitive code  will not allow a sender to be over-written. 
The error that is thrown is purposeful and defensive

I don't know what I am looking at yet, but I think that error check happens here:

Interpreter >> primitiveValueWithArgs
    | argumentArray blockContext blockArgumentCount arrayArgumentCount initialIP |
    argumentArray _ self popStack.
    blockContext _ self popStack.
    blockArgumentCount _ self argumentCountOfBlock: blockContext.
    "If the argArray isnt actually an Array we ahve to unpop the above two"
    (self isArray: argumentArray) ifFalse: [self unPop:2. ^self primitiveFail].
.....


Sound about right?

thx.

tty

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