array to list conversion

start on layouts

lib/parfait/class.rb

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module Parfait
       @name = name.to_sym
       @super_class_name = super_class_name.to_sym
       @meta_class = Virtual::MetaClass.new(self)
+      @object_layout = []
     end
     attr_reader :name , :instance_methods , :meta_class , :context , :super_class_name
     def add_instance_method method
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ module Parfait
       @instance_methods << method
     end
 
+    def set_instance_names list
+      @object_layout = Layout.new_object
+      @object_layout.set_names list
+    end
+
     def get_instance_method fname
       fname = fname.to_sym
       @instance_methods.detect{ |fun| fun.name == fname }

lib/parfait/layout.rb

@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@
 module Parfait
   class Layout < List
 
+    # set the names of the instance variables in one go
+    # used while booting the classes. At runtime the list would grow dynamically
+    def set_names list
+      self.set_length list.length
+      index = 0
+      while index < list.length do
+        list.set(index , array.get(index))
+      end
+    end
+
+    # beat the recursion! fixed known offset for class object in the layout
     def get_object_class()
       return internal_object_get(2)
     end

lib/parfait/list.rb

@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ module Parfait
       end
       self
     end
+    def set_length len
+      # TODO check if not shrinking
+      grow_to len
+    end
     def grow_to(len)
       raise "negative length for grow #{len}" if len < 0
       return unless len > self.length

lib/parfait/space.rb

@@ -55,12 +55,15 @@ module Parfait
     def get_class_by_name name
       raise "uups #{name}.#{name.class}" unless name.is_a? Symbol
       c = @classes[name]
-      unless c
-        c = Class.new_object(name)
-        @classes[name] = c
-      end
       c
     end
+
+    def create_class name , variable_names
+      c = Class.new_object(name)
+      c.set_instance_names Parfait.new_list(variable_names)
+      @classes[name] = c
+    end
+
     def mem_length
       padded_words( 5 )
     end