split frame into message (caller) and frame (receiver)

lib/virtual/frame.rb

@@ -1,48 +1,21 @@
 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.
+  # A Message and a Frame make up the two sides of message passing:
+  # A Message (see details there) is created by the sender and control is transferred
+  # A Frame is created by the receiver
+
+  # In static languages these two objects are one, because the method is known at compile time. 
+  # In that case the whole frame is usually on the stack, for leaves even omitted and all data is held in registers
   #
-  # 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, together with last called binding
+  # In a dynamic language the method is dynamically resolved, and so the size of the frame is not know to the caller
+  # Also exceptions (with the possibility of retry) and the idea of being able to take and store bindings
+  # make it to say the very least unsensibly tricky to store them on the stack. So we don't.
+
+  # Also at runtime Messages and frames remain completely "normal" objects
+
   class Frame
-    def initialize normal , exceptional , me
-      @next_normal = normal
-      @next_exception = exceptional
-      @me = me
-      # a binding represents the local variables at a point in the program.
-      # The amount of local variables is assumed to be relatively small, and so the 
-      # storage is a linked list. Has the same api as a ha
-      @binding = List.new
-    end
-    attr_reader :next_normal, :next_exception, :me, :binding
-
-    # dummy for the eventual
-    def new_frame
-      self
-    end
-    # 
-    def compile_get method , name
-      method.add FrameGet.new(name)
-      method.get_var(name)
-    end
-
-    def compile_send method , name , me , with = [] 
-      method.add Virtual::LoadSelf.new(me)
-      method.add FrameSend.new(name , with )
-      Return.new( method.return_type )
-    end
-
-    def compile_set method , name , val
-      method.set_var(name,val)
-      method.add FrameSet.new(name , val )
-      method.get_var(name)
+    def initialize variables
+      @variables = variables
     end
+    attr_accessor :variables
   end
 end

lib/virtual/machine.rb

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module Virtual
 
     def initialize
       the_end = Halt.new
-      @frame = Frame.new(the_end , the_end , :Object)
+      @frame = Message.new(the_end , the_end , :Object)
     end
     attr_reader :frame
 
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ require_relative "list"
 require_relative "instruction"
 require_relative "method_definition"
 require_relative "frame"
+require_relative "message"
 require_relative "value"
 require_relative "type"
 require_relative "object"

lib/virtual/message.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+module Virtual
+  # So when an object calls a method, or sends a message, this is what a sends: a Message
+
+  # A message contains the sender, return and exceptional return addresses,the arguments, and a slot for the frame.
+
+  # As such it is a very run-time object, deep in the machinery as it were, and does not have meaningful
+  # methods you could call at compile time.
+
+  # The methods that are there, are nevertheless meant to be called at compile time and generate code, rather than
+  # executing it.
+  
+  # The caller creates the Message and passes control to the receiver's method
+
+  # The receiver create a new Frame to hold local and temporary variables and (later) creates default values for
+  # arguments that were not passed
+
+  # How the actual finding of the method takes place (acording to the ruby rules) is not simple, but as there is a 
+  # guaranteed result (be it method_missing) it does not matter to the passing mechanism described
+
+  # During compilation Message and frame objects are created to do type analysis
+
+  class Message
+    def initialize me , normal , exceptional
+      @me = me
+      @next_normal = normal
+      @next_exception = exceptional
+      # a frame represents the local and temporary variables at a point in the program.
+      @frame = []
+    end
+    attr_reader :me, :next_normal, :next_exception, :frame
+
+    # dummy for the eventual
+    def new_frame
+      self
+    end
+    # 
+    def compile_get method , name
+      method.add FrameGet.new(name)
+      method.get_var(name)
+    end
+
+    def compile_send method , name , me , with = [] 
+      method.add Virtual::LoadSelf.new(me)
+      method.add FrameSend.new(name , with )
+      Return.new( method.return_type )
+    end
+
+    def compile_set method , name , val
+      method.set_var(name,val)
+      method.add FrameSet.new(name , val )
+      method.get_var(name)
+    end
+  end
+end