add the idea of a frame

lib/ast/basic_expressions.rb

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Ast
 
   class IntegerExpression < Expression
 #    attr_reader :value
-    def compile binding
+    def compile frame
       Virtual::IntegerConstant.new value
     end
   end
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ module Ast
 #    attr_reader  :name
 
     # compiling a variable resolves it. if it wasn't defined, raise an exception 
-    def compile context
+    def compile frame
-      raise "Undefined variable #{name}, defined locals #{context.locals.keys.join('-')}" unless context.locals.has_key?(name)
+      # either a variable or needs to be called.
-      context.locals[name]
+      frame.get(name)
+#      frame.send name
     end
   end
 

lib/virtual/frame.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+module Virtual
+  # A frame, or activation frame, represents a function call during calling. So not the static definition of the function
+  # but the dynamic invokation of it.
+  #
+  # In a minimal c world this would be just the return address, but with exceptions and continuations things get more
+  # complicated. How much more we shall see
+  #
+  # The current list comprises
+  # - next normal instruction
+  # - next exception instruction
+  # - self (me)
+  # - argument mappings
+  # - local variable mapping
+  class Frame
+    def initialize
+      
+    end
+    attr_reader :next_normal, :next_exception, :me, :argument_names
+  end
+end

lib/virtual/instruction.rb

@@ -7,8 +7,16 @@ module Virtual
   # It is actully the point of the virtual machine layer to express oo functionality in the set of instructions, thus
   # defining a minimal set of instructions needed to implement oo.
   
-  # This is partly because jumping over this layer and doing in straight in assember was too bi a step
+  # This is partly because jumping over this layer and doing in straight in assember was too big a step
   class Instruction
+    
   end
 
+  # the first instruction we need is to stop. Off course in a real machine this would be a syscall, but that is just 
+  # an implementation (in a programm it would be a function). But in a virtual machine, not only do we need this instruction,
+  # it is indeed the first instruction as just this instruction is the smallest possible programm for the machine.
+  # As such it is the next instruction for any first instruction that we generate.
+  class Halt < Instruction 
+    
+  end
 end

lib/virtual/machine.rb

@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ end
 
 require_relative "list"
 require_relative "instruction"
+require_relative "frame"
 require_relative "value"
 require_relative "mystery"
 require_relative "object"

test/virtual/test_basic.rb

@@ -12,35 +12,35 @@ class TestBasic < MiniTest::Test
 
   def test_name
     @string_input    = 'foo '
-    @output = Ast::NameExpression.new('foo')
+    @output = [nil]
-    @parser = @parser.name
+    check
   end
 
   def test_name_underscode_start
     @string_input    = '_bar '
     @output = Ast::NameExpression.new('_bar')
-    @parser = @parser.name
+    check
   end
 
   def test_name_underscode_middle
     @string_input    = 'foo_bar '
     @parse_output = {:name => 'foo_bar'}
     @output = Ast::NameExpression.new('foo_bar')
-    @parser = @parser.name
+    check
   end
 
   def test_instance_variable
     @string_input    = '@foo_bar '
     @parse_output = {:instance_variable=>{:name=>"foo_bar"}}
     @output = Ast::VariableExpression.new(:foo_bar)
-    @parser = @parser.instance_variable
+    check
   end
 
   def test_module_name
     @string_input    = 'FooBar '
     @parse_output = {:module_name=>"FooBar"}
     @output = Ast::ModuleName.new("FooBar")
-    @parser = @parser.module_name
+    check
   end
 
   def test_comment
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ class TestBasic < MiniTest::Test
     @string_input    =  out.dup #NEEDS the return, which is what delimits the comment
     @parse_output = out
     @output = @parse_output #dont transform
-    @parser = @parser.comment
+    check
   end
 
   def test_string
     @string_input    = "\"hello\""
     @parse_output =  {:string=>[{:char=>"h"}, {:char=>"e"}, {:char=>"l"}, {:char=>"l"}, {:char=>"o"}]}
     @output =  Ast::StringExpression.new('hello')
-    @parser = @parser.string
+    check
   end
 
   def test_string_escapes
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class TestBasic < MiniTest::Test
     @parse_output =  {:string=>[{:char=>"h"}, {:char=>"e"}, {:char=>"l"}, {:char=>"l"}, {:char=>"o"}, 
       {:char=>" "}, {:char=>" "}, {:esc=>"n"}, {:char=>"y"}, {:char=>"o"}, {:char=>"u"}]}
     @output =  Ast::StringExpression.new(out)
-    @parser = @parser.string
+    check
   end
 
 end