the further down this goes, the smaller the circles. Soon the point will come. And then back out

lib/ast/call_site_expression.rb

@@ -4,15 +4,21 @@ module Ast
   class CallSiteExpression < Expression
     attr_reader  :name, :args , :receiver
 
-    def initialize name, args , receiver = Ast::NameExpression.new("self")
+    def initialize name, args , receiver = Ast::NameExpression.new(:self)
       @name , @args , @receiver = name.to_sym , args , receiver
     end
 
     def compile context , into
       params = args.collect{ |a| a.compile(context, into) }
-      #TOOD, this needs dynamic resolution
-      function = context.current_class.get_or_create_function(name)
-      raise "Forward declaration not implemented (#{name}) #{inspect}" if function == nil
+
+      r = context.current_class.name
+      if !receiver.nil? and receiver.name != :self
+        r = receiver.name 
+      end
+      clazz = context.object_space.get_or_create_class r
+
+      function = context.current_class.get_function(name)
+      raise "Forward declaration not implemented for #{clazz.name}:#{name} #{inspect}" if function == nil
       call = Vm::CallSite.new( name ,  params  , function)
       current_function = context.function
       current_function.save_locals(context , into) if current_function

lib/ast/function_expression.rb

@@ -31,10 +31,16 @@ module Ast
         locals[arg] = arg_value
         args << arg_value
       end
-      class_name = context.current_class.name
-      function = Vm::Function.new(name , args )
       # class depends on receiver
-      context.current_class.add_function function 
+      if receiver.nil? 
+        clazz = context.current_class
+      else
+        c = context.object_space.get_or_create_class receiver.name.to_sym
+        clazz = c.meta_class
+      end
+
+      function = Vm::Function.new(name , args )
+      clazz.add_function function 
 
       parent_locals = context.locals
       parent_function = context.function

lib/boot/object.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+module Boot
+  class Object
+    module ClassMethods
+    
+      # return the index of the variable. Now "normal" code can't really do anything with that, but 
+      # set/get instance variable use it. 
+      # This is just a placeholder, as we code this in ruby, but the instance methods need the definition before.
+      def index_of context , name = Vm::Integer
+        index_function = Vm::Function.new(:index_of , [Vm::Integer] , Vm::Integer )
+        return index_function
+      end
+
+
+      # in ruby, how this goes is   
+      #  def _get_instance_variable var
+      #     i = self.index_of(var)
+      #     return at_index(i)
+      #  end  
+      # The at_index is just "below" the api, somehting we need but don't want to expose, so we can't code the above in ruby
+      def _get_instance_variable context , name = Vm::Integer
+        get_function = Vm::Function.new(:_get_instance_variable , [Vm::Integer , Vm::Integer ] , Vm::Integer )
+        me = get_function.args[0]
+        var_name = get_function.args[1]
+        return_to = get_function.return_type
+        index_function = context.object_space.get_or_create_class(:Object).get_or_create_function(:index_of)
+        b = get_function.body
+        b.push( me )
+        index = b.call( index_function )
+        b.pop(me)
+        return_to.at_index( get_function.body , me , index )
+        get_function.set_return return_to
+        return get_function
+      end
+
+      def _set_instance_variable(name , value)
+        raise name
+      end
+      
+      def _get_singleton_method(name )
+        raise name
+      end
+      def _add_singleton_method(method)
+        raise "4"
+      end
+      def initialize()
+        raise "4"
+      end
+    end
+    extend ClassMethods
+  end
+end

lib/core/base_object.rb

@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-module Core
-  class BaseObject
-    
-    def _set_instance_variable(name , value)
-      return name
-    end
-
-    def _get_instance_variable( name )
-      return name
-    end
-
-    def _get_singleton_method(name )
-      return name
-    end
-    def _add_singleton_method(method)
-      return 4
-    end
-    def initialize()
-      return 4
-    end
-
-  end
-end

lib/core/kernel.rb

@@ -21,27 +21,6 @@ module Core
         Vm::RegisterMachine.instance.function_exit block , f_name
       end
 
-      # in ruby, how this goes is   
-      #  def _get_instance_variable var
-      #     i = self.index_of(var)
-      #     return at_index(i)
-      #  end  
-      # The at_index is just "below" the api, somehting we need but don't want to expose, so we can't code the above in ruby
-      def _get_instance_variable context , name = Vm::Integer
-        get_function = Vm::Function.new(:_get_instance_variable , [Vm::Integer , Vm::Integer ] , Vm::Integer )
-        me = get_function.args[0]
-        var_name = get_function.args[1]
-        return_to = get_function.return_type
-        index_function = context.object_space.get_or_create_class(:Object).get_or_create_function(:index_of)
-        b = get_function.body
-        b.push( me )
-        index = b.call( index_function )
-        b.pop(me)
-        return_to.at_index( get_function.body , me , index )
-        get_function.set_return return_to
-        return get_function
-      end
-
       #TODO this is in the wrong place. It is a function that returns a function object
       #   while all other methods add their code into some block. --> kernel
       def putstring context , string = Vm::Integer , length = Vm::Integer

lib/vm/boot_space.rb

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ require_relative "boot_class"
 require_relative "call_site"
 require "arm/arm_machine"
 require "core/kernel"
+require "boot/object"
 
 module Vm
   # The BootSpace is contains all objects for a program. In functional terms it is a program, but on oo
@@ -35,9 +36,18 @@ module Vm
       #main gets executed between entry and exit
       @main = Block.new("main",nil)
       @exit = Core::Kernel::main_exit Vm::Block.new("main_exit",nil)
+      boot_classes
     end
     attr_reader :context , :main , :classes , :entry , :exit
     
+    def boot_classes
+      # very fiddly chicken 'n egg problem. Functions need to be in the right order, and in fact we have to define some 
+      # dummies, just for the other to compile
+      obj = get_or_create_class :Object
+      [:index_of , :_get_instance_variable].each do |f|
+        obj.add_function Boot::Object.send(f , @context)
+      end
+    end
     def add_object o
       return if @objects.include? o
       raise "must be derived from Code #{o.inspect}" unless o.is_a? Code
@@ -45,7 +55,7 @@ module Vm
     end
     
     def get_or_create_class name
-      raise "uups #{name}" unless name.is_a? Symbol
+      raise "uups #{name}.#{name.class}" unless name.is_a? Symbol
       c = @classes[name]
       unless c
         c = BootClass.new(name,@context)

test/fragments/test_class.rb

@@ -16,20 +16,25 @@ class Object
     return @layout.class()
   end
 end
+class Class
+  def Class.new_object( length )
+    return 4
+  end
+end
 class String
+  def String.new_string( len )
+    return Class.new_object( len << 2 )
+  end
   def length()
     return @length
   end
-  def self.new_string( len )
-    4
-  end
   def plus(str)
     my_length = @length 
     str_len = str.length()
     new_string = String.new_string(my_length + str_len)
     i = 0
     while( i < my_length) do
-      char = self.get(i)
+      char = get(i)
       new_string.set(i , char)
       i = i + 1
     end