ruby-x.github.io/crystal.html

---
layout: site
title: Crystal, a simple and minimal oo machine
---


<div class="row vspace10">
  <div class="span12 center">
    <h3><span>Crystal layers</span></h3>
    <p>Map pretty much to top level directories.</p>
  </div>
</div>
<div class="row vspace20">
  <div class="span11">
    <h5>Machine Code, bare metal</h5>
    <p>
      This is the code in arm directory. It creates binary code according to the arm specs. All about shifting bits in the 
      right way.
      <br/>
      As an abstraction it is not far away from assembler. I mapped the memnonics to function calls and the registers
      can be symbols or Values (from vm). But on the whole this is as low level as it gets.
      <br/>
      Different types of instructions are implemented by different classes. To make machine dependant code possible, 
      those classes are derived from Vm versions.
      <br/>
      There is an intel directory which contains an expanded version of wilson, but it has yet to be made to fit into
      the architecture. So for now crystal produces arm code.  
    </p>
  </div>
</div>


<div class="row">
  <div class="span12">
    <h5>Parsing, forever descending</h5>
    <p>
      Parsing is relatively straightforward too. We all know ruby, so it's just a matter of getting the rules right.
      <br/>
      If only. Ruby is full of niceties that actually make parsing it quite difficult. But at the moment that story hasn't
      even started.
      <br/>
      Parslet lets us use modules for parts of the parser, so those files are pretty self explanitory. Not all is done, but 
      a good start. Parslet also has a seperate Transformation pass, and that creates the AST. Those class names are also
      easy, so you can guess what an IfExpression represents.
      <br/>
    </p>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="row">
  <div class="span12">
    <h5>Virtual Machine</h5>
    <p>
      The Virtual machine layer (vm) is where it gets interesting, but also more fuzzy.
      <br/>
      Currently still quite simple, we have Classes for things we know, like program and function. Also hings we need 
      to create the code, like Blocks and Instructions.
      <br/>
      The most interesting thing is maybe the idea of a Value, which are a bit like Variables, just constant. And so to 
      change value of what we think of as a variable, we create a new Value (of possibly different basic type). Thus
      all machine instructions are the trasformation of values into new ones.
      <br/>
      Also interesting is the slightly unripe Basic Type system. We have a set of machine-word size types and do not 
      tag them (like mri or BB), but keep type info seperate. These types include integer (signed/unsigned) object reference
      and function. Most of the oo machine will build on object references. To make that clearer: The (virtual)machine is
      strongly typed (with rtti) and the dynamic ruby behaviour it implemented using that basic type system.
    </p>
  </p>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="row">
  <div class="span12">
    <h5>The flux</h5>
    <p>
      This is just a section of things that are unclear, in flux as it were. This does not included undone things, those
      are plenty too.
      <ul>
        <li> the whole type system, more of values, for object types its quite clear</li>
        <li> booting. There is this Dichotomy of writing code, and figuring out what it should do when it executes, 
            that works ok, until i try to think of both, like for booting. </li>
        <li> the oo machine abstraction. Currently non-existant i feel like there is a whole layer missing. Possibly
          with it's own intruction set</li>
        <li> where the core ends, parfait starts and what can be external. </li>
      </ul>
    </p>
  </div>
</div>