kurila14delta - what is new for Perl Kurila 1.4


NAME

kurila14delta - what is new for Perl Kurila 1.4


DESCRIPTION

This document describes differences between Perl Kurila 1.3 and Perl Kurila 1.4


Highlights In Perl Kurila 1.4

Perl Kurila 1.4 is release for one experimental new feature: "compilation subroutines".

Compilation subroutines are lexically scoped keywords with perl sub attached to it which gets called during compile time. When the keyword is used the arguments to it are normally parsed, but after that the perl sub attached to the keyword is called with as argument the argument of its keyword as opcode tree. The sub returns an opcode tree. Thus the sub receive an opcode tree, and returns a opcode tree.

Examples of things which can be done using compile subroutines:

See the compsub manpage for more information about writing compilation subroutines.

Compilation subroutines are meant mainly as a replacement for source filters and indirect object syntax, as a new method of creating new semantics. I consider its main advantage the clear syntax in combination with being lexically scoped.

To make it possible to generate new optree B::Generate has been integrated into B::OP


CONSIDERATIONS

Place of recognizing the token.

I am not exactly sure about the current place of recognizing the compilation sub, maybe it should should the same priority as a keyword.

Ignoring of parentheses

The decision to not recognize the parentheses after the compilation sub (i.e. foo($arg1), $arg2 being understood as foo $arg1, $arg2. But I am temped to make this also the default for function calls. Perl Kurila 1.3 tries to reduce some ambiguities in Perl code, and to simplify the perl internals. Some uncommon and error prone options have been removed. More specific:

Difficulty generating correct optrees

Generates correct optrees is very difficult. To have utility functions for some of the standard compile time actions would mostly resolve this. Of course it probably will remain difficult it you want to do very complex things.

The name

I now use compilation sub to refer to calling the sub, but probably should be terminology making a better distinction between the word being lexical scoped and the subroutine attached to that word.


KNOWN BUGS

Documentation

Documentation has not been updated for many of the changes for kurila.

Limited platform support

Perl Kurila has only been tested/build for x86_64-linux-gnu-thread-multi platform.


SEE ALSO

The INSTALL file for how to build Perl Kurila.

The README file for general stuff.

The Artistic and Copying files for copyright information.


HISTORY

Written by Gerard Goossen <gerard@tty.nl>.

 kurila14delta - what is new for Perl Kurila 1.4