basic word functionality

and conversion from string

lib/parfait.rb

@@ -48,3 +48,14 @@ class Parfait::List
     internal_object_length
   end
 end
+
+# Functions to generate parfait objects
+String.class_eval do
+  def to_word
+    word = Parfait::Word.new( self.length )
+    codepoints.each_with_index do |code , index |
+      word.set_char(index , char)
+    end
+    word
+  end
+end

lib/parfait/word.rb

@@ -8,10 +8,64 @@ module Parfait
   # Words are constant, maybe like js strings, ruby symbols
   # Words are short, but may have spaces
   class Word < Object
-    def initialize str
+    # initialize with length. For now we try to keep all non-parfait (including String) out
-      @string = str
+    # Virtual provides methods to create Parfait objects from ruby
+    def initialize length
+      super
+      set_length( length , 32 )
+    end
+
+
+    def set_length(len , fill_char)
+      return if len < 0
+      counter = self.length()
+      return if len >= counter
+      internal_object_grow( ( len + 1 ) / 2)
+      while( counter < len)
+        set_char( counter , fill_char)
+        counter = counter + 1
+      end
+    end
+
+    def set_char at , char
+      raise "char out of range #{char}" if (char < 0) or (char > 65000)
+      index = range_correct_index(at)
+      was = internal_object_get(index / 2 )
+      if index % 2
+        char = (char << 16) + (was & 0xFFFF)
+      else
+        char = char + (was & 0xFFFF0000)
+      end
+      internal_object_set( index / 2 , char )
+    end
+
+    def get_char at
+      index = range_correct_index(at)
+      whole = internal_object_get(index / 2 )
+      if index % 2
+        char = whole >> 16
+      else
+        char = whole & 0xFFFF
+      end
+      return char
+    end
+
+    def range_correct_index at
+      index = at
+      index = self.length + at if at < 0
+      raise "index out of range #{at}" if index < 0
+      return index
+    end
+
+    def == other
+      return false if other.length != self.length
+      len = self.length
+      while len
+        return false if self.get_char(len) != other.get_char(len)
+        len = len - 1
+      end
+      return true
     end
-    attr_reader :string
     
     def result= value
       raise "called"