removing those ugly slot index constants

The constants were bad enough,
but they were also at the wrong level

Now register level is defining mappings from
symbol names to indexes, by using the layout

lib/virtual/slots/frame_slot.rb

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ module Virtual
 
   # Slots in the Frame a re represented by instances of FrameSlot
 
-  # Slots in the Frame are local or temporary varialbes in a message
+  # Slots in the Frame are local or temporary variables in a message
   class FrameSlot < Slot
-    def initialize index , type = Unknown, value = nil
+    def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
       super
     end
   end

lib/virtual/slots/message_slot.rb

@@ -1,18 +1,5 @@
 module Virtual
 
-  #TODO : this constant approach is a bit old, from before PArfait adapter
-  #      nowadays these are unneccessary as we can resolve the names by using the
-  #      layout of the class. (get Class from space)
-  TYPE_INDEX = 0
-  LAYOUT_INDEX = 1
-  CALLER_INDEX = 2
-  RETURN_INDEX = 3
-  EXCEPTION_INDEX = 4
-  SELF_INDEX = 5
-  NAME_INDEX = 6
-  FRAME_INDEX = 7
-  ARGUMENT_START = 8
-
   # The current Message is one of four objects the virtual machine knows
   #
   # Slots represent instance variables of objects, so MessageSlots
@@ -20,31 +7,31 @@ module Virtual
   # The Message has a layout as per the constant above
 
   class MessageSlot < Slot
-    def initialize index , type = Unknown , value = nil
-      super(index ,type , value )
+    def initialize type = Unknown , value = nil
+      super(type , value )
     end
   end
 
   # named classes exist for slots that often accessed
 
-  # Return is the MessageSlot(RETURN_INDEX)
+  # Return is the return of MessageSlot
   class Return < MessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( RETURN_INDEX , type , value  )
+      super( type , value  )
     end
   end
 
-  # Self is the MessageSlot(SELF_INDEX)
+  # Self is the self in MessageSlot
   class Self < MessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( SELF_INDEX , type , value  )
+      super( type , value  )
     end
   end
 
   # MessageName of the current message
   class MessageName < MessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( NAME_INDEX , type , value  )
+      super( type , value  )
     end
   end
 end

lib/virtual/slots/next_message_slot.rb

@@ -7,31 +7,31 @@ module Virtual
   # The Message has a layout as per the constant above
 
   class NextMessageSlot < Slot
-    def initialize index , type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super(index , type , value )
+    def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
+      super( type , value )
     end
   end
 
   # named classes exist for slots that often accessed
 
-  # NextReturn is the NextMessageSlot(RETURN_INDEX)
+  # NextReturn is the return of NextMessageSlot
   class NextReturn < NextMessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( RETURN_INDEX, type , value  )
+      super( type , value  )
     end
   end
 
-  # NextSelf is the NextMessageSlot(SELF_INDEX)
+  # NextSelf is the self of NextMessageSlot
   class NextSelf < NextMessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( SELF_INDEX , type , value  )
+      super( type , value  )
     end
   end
 
   # NextMessageName of the next message
   class NextMessageName < NextMessageSlot
     def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
-      super( NAME_INDEX, type , value )
+      super( type , value )
     end
   end
 end

lib/virtual/slots/self_slot.rb

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module Virtual
   #  that object
   #
   class SelfSlot < Slot
-    def initialize index , type = Unknown, value = nil
+    def initialize type = Unknown, value = nil
       super
     end
   end

lib/virtual/slots/slot.rb

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ module Virtual
   # A slot is a slot in an object. It is the storage location for a value.
   #             (Remember, values are typed)
   # From a memory perspective a slot is an index into an array (the object)
-  # We are not modelling the array here, but the index into it.
+  # The mapping into arrays is a straightforward matter, but happens in the
+  # next level down, the register machine.
 
   # Four known objects exist and those correspond to subclasses:
   # - the message that has been received: MessageSlot
@@ -17,12 +18,11 @@ module Virtual
 
   class Slot < Object
 
-    attr_accessor :index , :type , :value
+    attr_accessor :type , :value
 
     private #abstract base class
 
-    def initialize index , type , value
-      @index = index
+    def initialize type , value
       @type = type
       @value = value
     end