# Copyright (C) 2001-2010, Parrot Foundation.

=head1 [DRAFT] PDD 5: Opcodes

=head2 Abstract

This PDD specifies how the opcode functions should behave and how they are
called by the Parrot interpreter.

{{ NOTE: this PDD is only loosely connected to the current state of
Parrot. }}

{{ NOTE: standardize on underscores or no underscores? }}





=head2 Description

The opcode functions are the workhorse of the Parrot engine. They control
program flow and do most of the work in a program. (The rest being done by the
variable vtable functions)

Opcode functions have very few limitations or restrictions on them. In
particular, opcode functions:

=over 4

=item *

Can assume a working interpreter

=item *

Must leave all interpreter registers the way they were found, unless the
opcode signature indicates otherwise

=back

Each opcode has two separate functions. The first function takes two
parameters, the current interpreter pointer and current interpreter PC, and
returns the address of the next opcode to execute. The second function takes
zero or more parameters as addresses, register numbers, integers, or floating
point numbers and optionally returns either the address of the next opcode or
the register number holding the address of the next opcode. These are referred
to as the I<wrapping function> and the I<inner function>, respectively.

The I<wrapping function> is required, as this is the code that the interpreter
will call. Normally this is automatically generated.

The I<inner function> is the code that gets directly executed when parrot gets
TIL-ified. If there is no I<inner function> for some reason, then your opcode
will likely run slower (as the interpreter would need to set up the registers
and other stuff that would normally get stripped away for speed)

=head3 The wrapping function

This is the function that the interpreter actually executes. It has all the
intimate knowledge of its parameters embedded in it, and is responsible for
figuring out what register data it needs and from where.

This function is generally created automatically by C<opcode_process.pl>, so
the programmer doesn't have to create it. If, for some reason, you do need or
want to write it (for example if you have no inner function) that's fine.

=head3 The inner function

The inner function is the code that actually does the work. This is generally
a chunk of C code, though the interpreter will be able to call perl code soon.

=head2 Implementation

=head3 Prototype declaration of inner function

   RETURN function(INPUT[, INPUT[, INPUT...]])

The C<RETURN> type may be one of:

=over 4

=item void

Indicates the function returns nothing. The I<wrapping function> will
automagically figure out what address to return based on the size of the
current opcode.

=item void *

Indicates the function returns the address of the next opcode to execute.

=item I

Indicates the function returns the number of the C<PMC> register that holds
address of the next opcode to be execute.

=back

The C<ITEM> may be one of:

=over 4

=item IV

Indicates the item is an integer

=item IV *

Indicates the item is a pointer to an integer

=item NV

Indicates the item is a float

=item NV *

Indicates the item is a pointer to a float

=item STRING

Indicates the item is a parrot string pointer

=item PMC

Indicates the item is a pointer to a PMC

=item INT

Indicates the item is a pointer to an bigint structure

=item NUM

Indicates the item is a pointer to a bignum structure

=item Ix

Indicates the item is an integer register number.

=item Nx

Indicates the item is a float register number.

=item Sx

Indicates the item is a string register number.

=item Px

Indicates the item is a PMC register number.

=back

The function starts with the first open brace, which should generally be on
the first non-empty line.

For example:

     void addI(Ix out, Ix in1, Ix in2)
     {
       INTREG(out) = INTREG(in1) + INTREG(in2);
     }

is a simple opcode function that corresponds to the C<addI> opcode.

=head2 TODO

=over 4

=item write opcode_process.pl

=back

=head2 References

Oploop PDD, PDD 4 (Internal types).

=cut

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