Iter 17a: per-fn arena via alloca for non-escaping allocations

Adds a conservative escape analysis that flags Term::Ctor and
Term::Lam allocations as non-escaping when they are bound by a
let, never flow to a fn arg / ctor field / tail-return / lambda
capture, and remain inside the allocating fn's frame. Codegen
lowers flagged sites to LLVM `alloca` instead of `@GC_malloc`;
escaping sites continue to use Boehm.

- escape.rs (new): name-based taint propagation; let-only
  candidates; tail-position / app-arg / ctor-field / lam-capture
  all taint.
- codegen: three sites switched (lower_ctor, lam env, closure
  pair). Save/restore non_escape across lambda thunk emit.
- examples/escape_local_demo.{ailx,ail.json}: focused fixture
  exercising both branches (peek and recursive count).
- e2e + escape unit tests: 133 → 141 (+8).

Stop-gate: 17a closes the queue. Memory-management discussion
(GC scope) is the next user-driven step. Per-fn arena observations
appended to JOURNAL — including the headline finding that 0/270
shipped allocations are flagged non-escaping under this rule
(real AILang threads ctors directly between fns; build-locally /
consume-locally is not idiomatic).

All existing fixture stdouts and content hashes bit-identical;
IR snapshots unchanged.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-05-07 23:31:35 +02:00
parent 937782e36d
commit aee6e9d3bf
7 changed files with 1236 additions and 14 deletions
+62
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@@ -126,6 +126,68 @@ fn gc_handles_recursive_list_construction() {
);
}
/// Iter 17a: per-fn arena via stack `alloca` for non-escaping
/// allocations. The fixture's `peek` and `count` fns each build a
/// `Box(_)` whose payload is dropped via a wildcard pattern; the
/// allocation is fully consumed locally and never flows to a fn
/// arg, ctor field, or the fn return. Escape analysis must flag
/// these allocations as non-escaping; codegen must lower them with
/// `alloca` instead of `@GC_malloc`. Two assertions:
/// (1) stdout matches the documented expected outputs;
/// (2) the emitted IR contains at least one `alloca i8, i64 16`
/// for the Box and zero `@GC_malloc` calls inside `peek`/`count`.
#[test]
fn iter17a_local_box_alloca() {
let stdout = build_and_run("escape_local_demo.ail.json");
assert_eq!(
stdout.lines().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
vec!["42", "42", "5", "0"],
"escape_local_demo stdout drift"
);
// IR check: peek and count should each contain `alloca` and no
// `@GC_malloc`. Emit, then split into per-fn bodies and inspect.
let manifest_dir = env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR");
let workspace = Path::new(manifest_dir).parent().unwrap().parent().unwrap();
let src = workspace
.join("examples")
.join("escape_local_demo.ail.json");
let tmp = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
"ailang_iter17a_alloca_{}",
std::process::id()
));
std::fs::create_dir_all(&tmp).unwrap();
let out_ll = tmp.join("escape_local_demo.ll");
let status = Command::new(ail_bin())
.args(["emit-ir", src.to_str().unwrap(), "-o"])
.arg(&out_ll)
.status()
.expect("ail emit-ir failed to run");
assert!(status.success(), "ail emit-ir failed");
let ir = std::fs::read_to_string(&out_ll).expect("read emitted IR");
for fn_name in ["peek", "count"] {
let header = format!("@ail_escape_local_demo_{fn_name}(");
let start = ir
.find(&header)
.unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("fn {fn_name} not found in IR"));
let after_header = &ir[start..];
let end = after_header
.find("\n}\n")
.expect("fn body terminator not found");
let body = &after_header[..end];
assert!(
body.contains("alloca i8, i64 16"),
"fn {fn_name} should contain `alloca i8, i64 16`; body:\n{body}"
);
assert!(
!body.contains("@GC_malloc"),
"fn {fn_name} should NOT contain `@GC_malloc` (allocation \
must be alloca'd); body:\n{body}"
);
}
}
/// Iter 14e: `tail: true` annotation on `print_list`'s recursive
/// call must reach LLVM as a `musttail call`. Asserted by emitting IR
/// for list_map_poly and grepping for the exact instruction. This is
+684
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@@ -0,0 +1,684 @@
//! Per-fn escape analysis for ADT and closure allocations (Iter 17a).
//!
//! Identifies `Term::Ctor` and `Term::Lam` allocations whose value
//! does not escape the function in which they are allocated. Such
//! allocations can be lowered to LLVM `alloca` instead of `@GC_malloc`,
//! producing stack-allocated boxes that are auto-freed at fn return —
//! semantically equivalent to the all-GC version but bypassing the
//! collector entirely for fully-local data.
//!
//! The analysis is *purely an optimisation*. A pessimistic answer
//! (claiming an allocation escapes when it does not) only loses
//! efficiency, never correctness.
//!
//! ## Rule (conservative, name-based taint propagation)
//!
//! For each allocation site that is the value of a `Term::Let`:
//!
//! `let X = ALLOC in B`
//!
//! we ask whether the body `B` makes the value of `X` (or any value
//! derived from it via projection) reachable past the fn return.
//!
//! Taint propagation rule:
//! - The bound name `X` is **tainted** in `B`.
//! - A `Term::Match` whose scrutinee is a `Var` referring to a tainted
//! name propagates taint to every pattern-bound name in every arm.
//! (Pattern bindings hold field projections of the scrutinee, which
//! live inside the same allocation.)
//! - A `Term::Let { name = Y, value = Var(t), ... }` where `t` is
//! tainted makes `Y` tainted too in the let's body.
//!
//! Escape rule (any tainted name appearing in any of these positions
//! marks the allocation as escaping):
//! - **Tail position** of `B` (the value of `B` is the value of the
//! enclosing region; the let-body's value flows up).
//! - **`Term::App` arg position** (arg flows into a callee, which may
//! keep the value).
//! - **`Term::Do` arg position** (effect ops are runtime calls).
//! - **`Term::Ctor` field position** (storing into another box; the
//! parent box may itself escape).
//! - **`Term::Lam` capture** (free var of an enclosed lambda — the
//! lambda's env, possibly heap-allocated, holds the value past the
//! current fn frame).
//! - **`Term::App` callee position** when the callee is **not** the
//! simple Var-tainted call (we only special-case calling a
//! tainted-Var-bound closure as non-escaping; any other indirect
//! callee derived from the tainted value is escape).
//!
//! Allowed (non-escaping) positions:
//! - **Scrutinee of `Term::Match`** (scrutinee is read-then-projected;
//! the box itself doesn't escape unless an arm's body escapes a
//! pattern binding, handled by the taint propagation above).
//! - **Callee of `Term::App` when the callee is a bare `Var` to the
//! tainted name** (the closure pair is loaded and called locally).
//!
//! ## Lambda-specific note
//!
//! Closures often escape (passed as args to higher-order fns). The
//! same rule applies. A `let f = \x. body in B` allocation is
//! non-escaping iff `f` appears in `B` exclusively in the callee
//! position of `Term::App` (so the closure pair is loaded and
//! invoked locally).
//!
//! The Lam's *body* is itself a fresh fn frame from the analyzer's
//! perspective — the Lam body's captures already cross a fn
//! boundary, so the analyzer does not recurse into it. (The Lam's
//! body would be analyzed in its own top-level pass over the lifted
//! thunk, but in this codebase lambdas are not lifted to top-level
//! before codegen — they are emitted as deferred thunks during the
//! same fn-emission pass. We handle this by running the analysis on
//! every fn body and on every Lam body recursively.)
//!
//! ## What this analysis is NOT
//!
//! - Not a region inference system. Per-fn only.
//! - Not field-sensitive (we taint pattern bindings wholesale).
//! - Not flow-sensitive within an arm (we just check if any tainted
//! name appears in any escape position).
//!
//! Precision can be improved later; correctness is the priority for
//! this iter.
use ailang_core::ast::{Pattern, Term};
use std::collections::BTreeSet;
/// Set of allocation sites (identified by raw pointer address cast to
/// `usize`) that the escape analysis has proven do not escape their
/// allocating fn.
///
/// Pointer identity is stable for the duration of codegen because the
/// `Module` AST is borrowed immutably throughout.
pub type NonEscapeSet = BTreeSet<usize>;
/// Run the analysis over a fn body. Returns the set of allocation
/// sites (pointers to `Term::Ctor` / `Term::Lam` nodes) that may
/// be safely lowered with `alloca` instead of `@GC_malloc`.
pub fn analyze_fn_body(body: &Term) -> NonEscapeSet {
let mut out = NonEscapeSet::new();
walk(body, &mut out);
out
}
/// Walk the term, looking for `Let { name, value: Ctor | Lam, body }`
/// shapes. For each such shape, run the escape check on `body` with
/// the bound name as the initial tainted seed. If the check returns
/// false (no escape), record the value's pointer in `out`.
///
/// Then recurse into all sub-terms so that nested let-allocations and
/// lambdas are analyzed too.
fn walk(t: &Term, out: &mut NonEscapeSet) {
match t {
Term::Let { name, value, body } => {
// Candidate shape: let X = Ctor|Lam in B.
let alloc_kind = match value.as_ref() {
Term::Ctor { .. } => Some("ctor"),
Term::Lam { .. } => Some("lam"),
_ => None,
};
if alloc_kind.is_some() {
let mut tainted = BTreeSet::new();
tainted.insert(name.clone());
// The let's body is in tail position iff the let is —
// but we don't know the outer context here. Treat the
// body as if it were tail-of-the-fn: safer (more
// conservative). If body's tail value contains the
// tainted name, it escapes the let, which transitively
// escapes the fn.
if !escapes(body, &tainted, true) {
let ptr = (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize;
out.insert(ptr);
}
}
// Recurse into value and body for any nested allocations.
walk(value, out);
walk(body, out);
}
Term::App { callee, args, .. } => {
walk(callee, out);
for a in args {
walk(a, out);
}
}
Term::Do { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
walk(a, out);
}
}
Term::Ctor { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
walk(a, out);
}
}
Term::Match { scrutinee, arms } => {
walk(scrutinee, out);
for arm in arms {
walk(&arm.body, out);
}
}
Term::If { cond, then, else_ } => {
walk(cond, out);
walk(then, out);
walk(else_, out);
}
Term::Seq { lhs, rhs } => {
walk(lhs, out);
walk(rhs, out);
}
Term::Lam { body, .. } => {
// Recurse into the lambda body — it is itself a fn frame
// for our analysis purposes (each lifted thunk runs the
// same analysis when emit_fn is called for it; for
// un-lifted closures we still want to flag inner local
// allocations).
walk(body, out);
}
Term::LetRec { body, in_term, .. } => {
// Iter 16b.x: LetRec is normally eliminated before codegen.
// Still walk for completeness.
walk(body, out);
walk(in_term, out);
}
Term::Lit { .. } | Term::Var { .. } => {}
}
}
/// Returns `true` if any tainted name escapes from the term `t`.
///
/// `in_tail` indicates whether `t`'s value flows up to the fn return
/// (or to the let-body whose value flows up, transitively). At the
/// initial call from `walk`, we set `in_tail = true` for the let's
/// body because the body's value is the let's value, which we cannot
/// see beyond — better to assume escape.
fn escapes(t: &Term, tainted: &BTreeSet<String>, in_tail: bool) -> bool {
match t {
Term::Lit { .. } => false,
Term::Var { name } => {
// A bare Var reference whose value flows to tail = escape.
in_tail && tainted.contains(name)
}
Term::App { callee, args, .. } => {
// Callee position. Special case: a direct call to a
// tainted Var (calling the bound closure) is not escape;
// the closure pair is loaded and invoked locally.
match callee.as_ref() {
Term::Var { name: cname } if tainted.contains(cname) => {
// Calling locally is fine; don't flag the callee as escape.
}
_ => {
if escapes(callee, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
}
}
// Args: any tainted Var as arg = escape. Sub-expressions
// recurse with in_tail=false.
for a in args {
if let Term::Var { name } = a {
if tainted.contains(name) {
return true;
}
}
if escapes(a, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
}
false
}
Term::Do { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
if let Term::Var { name } = a {
if tainted.contains(name) {
return true;
}
}
if escapes(a, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
}
false
}
Term::Ctor { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
if let Term::Var { name } = a {
if tainted.contains(name) {
return true;
}
}
if escapes(a, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
}
false
}
Term::Let { name, value, body } => {
if escapes(value, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
// If the let's value is a tainted Var, the new binding
// inherits taint. (Same for `Var`-only sub-expr; for any
// other shape we'd need a stronger analysis to detect
// taint flowing through computation. Conservative cut:
// only direct Var aliasing propagates.)
let mut local = tainted.clone();
if let Term::Var { name: vn } = value.as_ref() {
if tainted.contains(vn) {
local.insert(name.clone());
}
}
// Body: tail position propagates from the enclosing let.
escapes(body, &local, in_tail)
}
Term::Match { scrutinee, arms } => {
if escapes(scrutinee, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
// If the scrutinee is a tainted Var, propagate taint to
// pattern bindings (each arm independently).
let scrutinee_tainted = match scrutinee.as_ref() {
Term::Var { name } => tainted.contains(name),
_ => false,
};
for arm in arms {
let mut arm_tainted = tainted.clone();
if scrutinee_tainted {
let mut binds = Vec::new();
pattern_bound_names(&arm.pat, &mut binds);
for b in binds {
arm_tainted.insert(b);
}
}
if escapes(&arm.body, &arm_tainted, in_tail) {
return true;
}
}
false
}
Term::If { cond, then, else_ } => {
if escapes(cond, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
if escapes(then, tainted, in_tail) {
return true;
}
if escapes(else_, tainted, in_tail) {
return true;
}
false
}
Term::Seq { lhs, rhs } => {
if escapes(lhs, tainted, false) {
return true;
}
escapes(rhs, tainted, in_tail)
}
Term::Lam { params, body, .. } => {
// A lambda captures free vars. If any free var is tainted,
// the closure escapes the value via its env. (Even if the
// closure pair itself doesn't escape, capturing creates a
// store of the tainted value into a heap env, which the
// collector keeps. For correctness we just need: tainted
// value's lifetime <= current fn frame.)
//
// The lambda's own body is analyzed independently when its
// turn comes (via `walk`); here we only check captures.
let mut frees = BTreeSet::new();
let mut bound_in_lam: BTreeSet<String> = params.iter().cloned().collect();
collect_free_vars(body, &mut bound_in_lam, &mut frees);
for f in &frees {
if tainted.contains(f) {
return true;
}
}
false
}
Term::LetRec { .. } => {
// LetRec is normally eliminated by the lift-pass before
// codegen. If one slips through, be conservative and
// declare escape.
true
}
}
}
/// Collect pattern-bound names (variables only; wildcards and
/// literals bind nothing).
fn pattern_bound_names(p: &Pattern, out: &mut Vec<String>) {
match p {
Pattern::Wild | Pattern::Lit { .. } => {}
Pattern::Var { name } => out.push(name.clone()),
Pattern::Ctor { fields, .. } => {
for f in fields {
pattern_bound_names(f, out);
}
}
}
}
/// Collect free variables of a term relative to a `bound` set. Used
/// only to check whether a Lam captures any tainted name. Mirrors
/// `Emitter::collect_captures` in lib.rs but without the builtin /
/// top-level filter (those don't matter for taint).
fn collect_free_vars(t: &Term, bound: &mut BTreeSet<String>, out: &mut BTreeSet<String>) {
match t {
Term::Lit { .. } => {}
Term::Var { name } => {
if !bound.contains(name) {
out.insert(name.clone());
}
}
Term::App { callee, args, .. } => {
collect_free_vars(callee, bound, out);
for a in args {
collect_free_vars(a, bound, out);
}
}
Term::Do { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
collect_free_vars(a, bound, out);
}
}
Term::Ctor { args, .. } => {
for a in args {
collect_free_vars(a, bound, out);
}
}
Term::Let { name, value, body } => {
collect_free_vars(value, bound, out);
let inserted = bound.insert(name.clone());
collect_free_vars(body, bound, out);
if inserted {
bound.remove(name);
}
}
Term::If { cond, then, else_ } => {
collect_free_vars(cond, bound, out);
collect_free_vars(then, bound, out);
collect_free_vars(else_, bound, out);
}
Term::Match { scrutinee, arms } => {
collect_free_vars(scrutinee, bound, out);
for arm in arms {
let mut binds = Vec::new();
pattern_bound_names(&arm.pat, &mut binds);
let mut newly = Vec::new();
for n in &binds {
if bound.insert(n.clone()) {
newly.push(n.clone());
}
}
collect_free_vars(&arm.body, bound, out);
for n in newly {
bound.remove(&n);
}
}
}
Term::Lam { params, body, .. } => {
let mut newly = Vec::new();
for p in params {
if bound.insert(p.clone()) {
newly.push(p.clone());
}
}
collect_free_vars(body, bound, out);
for n in newly {
bound.remove(&n);
}
}
Term::Seq { lhs, rhs } => {
collect_free_vars(lhs, bound, out);
collect_free_vars(rhs, bound, out);
}
Term::LetRec { body, in_term, .. } => {
collect_free_vars(body, bound, out);
collect_free_vars(in_term, bound, out);
}
}
}
#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
use super::*;
use ailang_core::ast::{Arm, Literal, Type};
fn lit_int(v: i64) -> Term {
Term::Lit {
lit: Literal::Int { value: v },
}
}
fn var(s: &str) -> Term {
Term::Var { name: s.into() }
}
fn ctor(ty: &str, c: &str, args: Vec<Term>) -> Term {
Term::Ctor {
type_name: ty.into(),
ctor: c.into(),
args,
}
}
/// Match-only consumption: `let xs = Cons(1, Nil) in match xs of _ -> 0`.
/// xs only used as match scrutinee; arm body returns a literal.
/// Expected: alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn local_ctor_match_only() {
let alloc = ctor(
"L",
"Cons",
vec![lit_int(1), ctor("L", "Nil", vec![])],
);
let alloc_ptr = (&alloc as *const Term) as usize;
let body = Term::Let {
name: "xs".into(),
value: Box::new(alloc.clone()),
body: Box::new(Term::Match {
scrutinee: Box::new(var("xs")),
arms: vec![Arm {
pat: Pattern::Wild,
body: lit_int(0),
}],
}),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
// The allocation site we care about is the `value` field of
// the Let. Since `body` was constructed inline (the Let's
// value is a Box copy of `alloc`), use the boxed copy's addr.
// Walk the AST to find it.
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"expected let-bound ctor to be non-escaping; neset={:?}",
neset
);
// Avoid unused warning in case ptr identity changed.
let _ = alloc_ptr;
}
/// Returned value: `let xs = Cons(1, Nil) in xs`. xs in tail
/// position. Expected: NOT alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn returned_ctor_escapes() {
let alloc = ctor(
"L",
"Cons",
vec![lit_int(1), ctor("L", "Nil", vec![])],
);
let body = Term::Let {
name: "xs".into(),
value: Box::new(alloc),
body: Box::new(var("xs")),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
!neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"let-bound ctor that flows to tail must escape"
);
}
/// Passed to a fn: `let xs = Cons(1, Nil) in length(xs)`. xs in
/// arg position. Expected: NOT alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn ctor_passed_as_arg_escapes() {
let alloc = ctor("L", "Nil", vec![]);
let body = Term::Let {
name: "xs".into(),
value: Box::new(alloc),
body: Box::new(Term::App {
callee: Box::new(var("length")),
args: vec![var("xs")],
tail: false,
}),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
!neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"let-bound ctor passed as arg must escape"
);
}
/// Stored into another ctor: `let h = Mk(1) in Cons(h, Nil)`.
/// h is a field of the outer Cons. Expected: NOT alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn ctor_stored_in_ctor_field_escapes() {
let h_alloc = ctor("X", "Mk", vec![lit_int(1)]);
let body = Term::Let {
name: "h".into(),
value: Box::new(h_alloc),
body: Box::new(ctor(
"L",
"Cons",
vec![var("h"), ctor("L", "Nil", vec![])],
)),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
!neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"let-bound ctor stored as ctor field must escape"
);
}
/// Match arm returns a pattern-bound name: `let xs = Cons(1, Nil)
/// in match xs of Cons h _ -> h | Nil -> 0`. h is tainted via the
/// scrutinee, returned in arm tail. Expected: NOT alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn pattern_binding_returned_escapes() {
let alloc = ctor(
"L",
"Cons",
vec![lit_int(1), ctor("L", "Nil", vec![])],
);
let body = Term::Let {
name: "xs".into(),
value: Box::new(alloc),
body: Box::new(Term::Match {
scrutinee: Box::new(var("xs")),
arms: vec![
Arm {
pat: Pattern::Ctor {
ctor: "Cons".into(),
fields: vec![
Pattern::Var { name: "h".into() },
Pattern::Wild,
],
},
body: var("h"),
},
Arm {
pat: Pattern::Ctor {
ctor: "Nil".into(),
fields: vec![],
},
body: lit_int(0),
},
],
}),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
!neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"scrutinee whose pattern binding flows to arm tail must escape"
);
}
/// Lambda call-only: `let f = \x. x in f(42)`. f only used as
/// callee. Expected: alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn local_lam_call_only() {
let lam = Term::Lam {
params: vec!["x".into()],
param_tys: vec![Type::int()],
ret_ty: Box::new(Type::int()),
effects: vec![],
body: Box::new(var("x")),
};
let body = Term::Let {
name: "f".into(),
value: Box::new(lam),
body: Box::new(Term::App {
callee: Box::new(var("f")),
args: vec![lit_int(42)],
tail: false,
}),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"let-bound lambda used only as callee must be non-escaping; got {:?}",
neset
);
}
/// Lambda passed to HOF: `let f = \x. x in map(f, xs)`. f passed
/// as arg. Expected: NOT alloca-eligible.
#[test]
fn lam_passed_as_arg_escapes() {
let lam = Term::Lam {
params: vec!["x".into()],
param_tys: vec![Type::int()],
ret_ty: Box::new(Type::int()),
effects: vec![],
body: Box::new(var("x")),
};
let body = Term::Let {
name: "f".into(),
value: Box::new(lam),
body: Box::new(Term::App {
callee: Box::new(var("map")),
args: vec![var("f"), var("xs")],
tail: false,
}),
};
let neset = analyze_fn_body(&body);
let let_value_ptr = match &body {
Term::Let { value, .. } => (value.as_ref() as *const Term) as usize,
_ => unreachable!(),
};
assert!(
!neset.contains(&let_value_ptr),
"let-bound lambda passed as arg must escape"
);
}
}
+81 -9
View File
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ use ailang_core::ast::*;
use ailang_core::Workspace;
use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet};
mod escape;
use escape::NonEscapeSet;
/// Failure modes of [`emit_ir`] / [`lower_workspace`].
///
/// Most variants signal a compiler invariant violation rather than a
@@ -455,6 +458,13 @@ struct Emitter<'a> {
/// lowering. Flushed at the end of emit_fn (LLVM IR allows fns in
/// any order).
deferred_thunks: Vec<String>,
/// Iter 17a: per-fn escape-analysis result. Set of pointer-as-usize
/// addresses of `Term::Ctor` and `Term::Lam` nodes that the
/// analysis proved do not escape the fn frame they are allocated
/// in. Such allocations lower to `alloca` instead of `@GC_malloc`.
/// Populated by `analyze_fn_body` at the start of `emit_fn` and at
/// the start of every lambda thunk emission inside `lower_lambda`.
non_escape: NonEscapeSet,
}
#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -557,6 +567,7 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
current_def: String::new(),
lam_counter: 0,
deferred_thunks: Vec::new(),
non_escape: NonEscapeSet::new(),
}
}
@@ -738,6 +749,13 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
// collected during lowering and appended after the parent fn.
self.current_def = f.name.clone();
self.lam_counter = 0;
// Iter 17a: run escape analysis over the fn body. The result
// is queried at every `Term::Ctor` / `Term::Lam` lowering site
// to decide between `alloca` (non-escaping) and `@GC_malloc`
// (escaping). The analysis is purely additive — a stale or
// empty result only loses optimisation opportunities, never
// correctness.
self.non_escape = escape::analyze_fn_body(&f.body);
let mut sig = format!(
"define {ret} @ail_{module}_{name}(",
@@ -1040,10 +1058,20 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
self.emit_indirect_call(&callee_ssa, &sig, args, *tail)
}
Term::Do { op, args, tail } => self.lower_effect_op(op, args, *tail),
Term::Ctor { type_name, ctor, args } => self.lower_ctor(type_name, ctor, args),
Term::Ctor { type_name, ctor, args } => {
// Iter 17a: pass the term pointer so `lower_ctor` can
// consult the escape-analysis result for this exact
// allocation site.
let term_ptr = (t as *const Term) as usize;
self.lower_ctor(type_name, ctor, args, term_ptr)
}
Term::Match { scrutinee, arms } => self.lower_match(scrutinee, arms),
Term::Lam { params, param_tys, ret_ty, effects: _, body } => {
self.lower_lambda(params, param_tys, ret_ty, body)
// Iter 17a: same as `Ctor` — pass the term pointer for
// escape-analysis lookup. A non-escaping closure pair
// (and its env) lower to `alloca`.
let term_ptr = (t as *const Term) as usize;
self.lower_lambda(params, param_tys, ret_ty, body, term_ptr)
}
Term::Seq { lhs, rhs } => {
// Iter 10: lower lhs for its effects, discard the SSA;
@@ -1185,11 +1213,19 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
/// Heap box layout: 8 bytes tag (i64) followed by 8 bytes per field.
/// i1 and i8 fields also occupy a full 8-byte slot — the typed
/// load/store instructions write/read only the required size.
///
/// Iter 17a: `term_ptr` is the pointer-as-usize of the lowered
/// `Term::Ctor` node. If escape analysis flagged this site as
/// non-escaping (i.e., the value cannot live past the current fn
/// frame), allocation lowers to LLVM `alloca` instead of
/// `@GC_malloc`. The rest of the lowering (tag store, field
/// stores, ptr return) is identical.
fn lower_ctor(
&mut self,
type_name: &str,
ctor_name: &str,
args: &[Term],
term_ptr: usize,
) -> Result<(String, String)> {
let cref = self.lookup_ctor_by_type(type_name, ctor_name)?;
if args.len() != cref.ail_fields.len() {
@@ -1251,9 +1287,18 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
}
let size_bytes = 8 + (compiled.len() * 8) as i64;
let p = self.fresh_ssa();
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {p} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 {size_bytes})\n"
));
// Iter 17a: pick allocator based on escape analysis. `alloca`
// for non-escaping (stack-allocated, freed on fn return);
// `@GC_malloc` for everything else.
if self.non_escape.contains(&term_ptr) {
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {p} = alloca i8, i64 {size_bytes}, align 8\n"
));
} else {
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {p} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 {size_bytes})\n"
));
}
// Write tag.
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" store i64 {tag}, ptr {p}, align 8\n",
@@ -1867,6 +1912,7 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
lam_param_tys: &[Type],
lam_ret_ty: &Type,
lam_body: &Term,
term_ptr: usize,
) -> Result<(String, String)> {
let llvm_param_tys: Vec<String> =
lam_param_tys.iter().map(llvm_type).collect::<Result<_>>()?;
@@ -1940,6 +1986,12 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
let saved_terminated = self.block_terminated;
self.block_terminated = false;
let saved_sigs = std::mem::take(&mut self.ssa_fn_sigs);
// Iter 17a: a lambda thunk is its own fn frame for escape
// analysis. Save the outer fn's non-escape set and recompute
// for the lambda body. Restored at the end alongside the rest
// of the saved emitter state.
let saved_non_escape = std::mem::take(&mut self.non_escape);
self.non_escape = escape::analyze_fn_body(lam_body);
// Lambdas inside lambdas are fine: they get their own counter
// namespace within the enclosing thunk. They share the
// `deferred_thunks` queue (top-level body owns it).
@@ -2020,15 +2072,30 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
self.current_block = saved_block;
self.block_terminated = saved_terminated;
self.ssa_fn_sigs = saved_sigs;
self.non_escape = saved_non_escape;
// 3. Emit allocation + capture filling + closure-pair packing
// in the OUTER body. Captures use 8 bytes each; closure-pair
// is 16 bytes.
// Iter 17a: env and closure-pair share the Lam term's escape
// status — they have parallel lifetimes. If the closure pair
// does not escape (only used as a callee in the outer body),
// both can be `alloca`'d. The escape-analysis lookup runs
// against the outer fn's `non_escape` set (already restored
// above).
let lam_local = self.non_escape.contains(&term_ptr);
let env_size = (cap_meta.len() * 8) as i64;
let env_ssa = if env_size > 0 {
let env = self.fresh_ssa();
self.body
.push_str(&format!(" {env} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 {env_size})\n"));
if lam_local {
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {env} = alloca i8, i64 {env_size}, align 8\n"
));
} else {
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {env} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 {env_size})\n"
));
}
for (i, (_cname, outer_ssa, cty, _c_ail, _sig)) in cap_meta.iter().enumerate() {
let offset = (i * 8) as i64;
let slot = self.fresh_ssa();
@@ -2045,8 +2112,13 @@ impl<'a> Emitter<'a> {
};
let clos = self.fresh_ssa();
self.body
.push_str(&format!(" {clos} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 16)\n"));
if lam_local {
self.body
.push_str(&format!(" {clos} = alloca i8, i64 16, align 8\n"));
} else {
self.body
.push_str(&format!(" {clos} = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 16)\n"));
}
let cs_t = self.fresh_ssa();
self.body.push_str(&format!(
" {cs_t} = getelementptr inbounds {{ ptr, ptr }}, ptr {clos}, i64 0, i32 0\n"
+73 -5
View File
@@ -599,6 +599,67 @@ escape analysis, the corresponding AST/IR plumbing, and is its
own design pass. Boehm-everything is the floor; arena is an
optimisation above it.
### Per-fn arena via stack `alloca` (Iter 17a)
Iter 17a layers exactly that optimisation, in its simplest form.
`ailang-codegen` runs an escape-analysis pre-pass over every fn
body (and every lifted lambda thunk body); allocations the pass
proves do not outlive the fn frame are lowered to LLVM `alloca`
instead of `@GC_malloc`. Allocations that may escape continue to
use `@GC_malloc`. The Boehm collector is still linked and
unchanged; this is purely an optimisation above the floor.
**Allocation mechanism: LLVM `alloca`** (not a heap arena). Stack
allocation matches the "freed at fn return" lifetime exactly,
needs no malloc/free pair, and integrates with LLVM's existing
optimiser (mem2reg / SROA may further promote the alloca'd box
to registers if the box is small and its uses are simple). No
new runtime is introduced; no language-level change; no AST or
schema change.
**Escape rule (conservative).** A `Term::Ctor` or `Term::Lam`
allocation is non-escaping iff (1) it is the value of a
`Term::Let { name = X, value = ALLOC, body = B }`, and (2) the
body `B` does not let any value derived from `X` flow past the
fn frame. "Derived from" follows two propagation rules:
- A `Term::Match` whose scrutinee is a `Var` referring to a
tainted name propagates taint to every pattern-bound name in
every arm. (Pattern bindings hold field projections of the
scrutinee, which live inside the same allocation.)
- A `Term::Let { name = Y, value = Var(t), ... }` where `t` is
tainted makes `Y` tainted in the let's body.
A tainted name "escapes" if it appears in any of: the tail
position of `B`, the arg list of any `Term::App` / `Term::Do`,
the field list of a `Term::Ctor`, or the free-var capture set of
a `Term::Lam`. The closure-pair-callee position of `Term::App`
where the callee is a bare `Var` to the tainted name is NOT an
escape (calling locally is fine).
**What this is not.** Not a region-inference system. Not
flow-sensitive within an arm. Not field-sensitive (pattern
bindings are tainted wholesale). Precision can be improved later;
correctness is the priority for this iter. A pessimistic answer
(claiming an allocation escapes when it does not) only loses
optimisation, never correctness.
**Codegen integration.** Three sites in
`ailang-codegen/src/lib.rs`:
- `lower_ctor` — ADT box.
- `lower_lambda` env block (when there are captures).
- `lower_lambda` closure pair (always 16 bytes).
Each site queries the per-fn `non_escape: BTreeSet<usize>` (raw
pointer addresses of `Term::Ctor` / `Term::Lam` AST nodes flagged
as non-escaping). On a hit the emitter writes
`alloca i8, i64 <size>, align 8`; on a miss it writes
`call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 <size>)`. The rest of the lowering (tag
store, field stores, closure-pair packing) is identical.
The closure-pair and its env share an escape verdict — they have
parallel lifetimes. If the closure pair is non-escaping, the env
is too.
## Mangling scheme (Iter 5c)
All AILang functions are mangled to `@ail_<module>_<def>` — even in the
@@ -861,11 +922,18 @@ What **is** supported (and used as the smoke test for the pipeline):
sole text projection; `ail parse` is the inverse direction. Round-trip
identity (text → AST → JSON → AST → text) is gated by
`ailang-surface/tests/round_trip.rs` over every shipped fixture.
- **Memory management via Boehm conservative GC** (Decision 9 / Iter 14f).
Every ADT box, lambda env, and closure pair is allocated by `@GC_malloc`,
declared in the LLVM module preamble and linked from `libgc` at build
time. Soak-tested by `examples/gc_stress.ail.json` and the
`examples/std_list_stress.ail.json` fixture.
- **Memory management via Boehm conservative GC** (Decision 9 / Iter 14f),
with **per-fn arena via stack `alloca` for non-escaping allocations**
layered on top (Iter 17a). Every ADT box, lambda env, and closure
pair allocates either via `@GC_malloc` (escaping; Boehm-managed) or
via LLVM `alloca` (non-escaping; freed at fn return). The decision
is made by an escape-analysis pre-pass over the fn body — see
Decision 9's "Per-fn arena via stack `alloca`" subsection.
Boehm-only soak tests are unchanged: `examples/gc_stress.ail.json`
and `examples/std_list_stress.ail.json` still allocate via
`@GC_malloc` because their boxes flow into other fns and escape.
The per-fn-arena path is exercised end-to-end by
`examples/escape_local_demo.ail.json` (Iter 17a fixture).
- **First-class function references** (Iter 7). A top-level fn name (or
qualified `prefix.def`) used as a `Term::Var` is a fn-value.
- **Anonymous lambdas with capture** (Iter 8). `Term::Lam` constructs a
+278
View File
@@ -4851,3 +4851,281 @@ user GC discussion — unchanged); 16c-aux (`std_list::take`/
follow-up that mirrors 16e for `!=` (one-line change in
`builtins.rs` plus a one-line dispatch arm in `lower_app`,
queued without a number).
## Iter 17a — per-fn arena via stack alloca for non-escaping allocations
**Goal.** Replace `@GC_malloc` with LLVM `alloca` for ADT/closure
allocations the compiler can prove do not escape their allocating
fn. Boehm GC stays linked and unchanged; this is purely an
optimisation layered on top of Decision 9's collector floor.
**Architectural choice: alloca, not heap arena.** Stack
allocation matches "freed at fn return" exactly — no malloc/free
pair, no per-fn bump-allocator runtime, no recycling logic. LLVM
already optimises `alloca i8, i64 N` (mem2reg / SROA can promote
small allocas to registers when uses are simple). The simpler
mechanism wins; a heap-arena path would have meaningful
implementation cost with no obvious benefit at MVP scale.
**Escape-analysis approach (conservative, name-based taint
propagation).** A new `crates/ailang-codegen/src/escape.rs`
walks each fn body once. For every `Let { name = X, value =
Term::Ctor | Term::Lam, body = B }` it asks: does any value
derived from X flow past the fn frame?
Taint propagation:
- The bound name `X` is tainted in `B`.
- A `Term::Match` whose scrutinee is a `Var` referring to a
tainted name propagates taint to every pattern-bound name in
every arm. (Pattern bindings hold field projections of the
scrutinee, which live inside the same allocation.)
- A `Term::Let { name = Y, value = Var(t), body }` where `t`
is tainted makes `Y` tainted in the let's body.
A tainted name escapes if it appears in:
- Tail position of `B` (the value of `B` is the value of the
outer region).
- The arg list of any `Term::App` / `Term::Do`.
- The field list of any `Term::Ctor`.
- The free-var capture set of any `Term::Lam`.
Allowed (non-escaping) positions:
- Scrutinee of `Term::Match` (read-then-projected; the scrutinee
itself doesn't leak unless an arm leaks a pattern binding,
handled by the taint propagation above).
- The callee of `Term::App` when the callee is a bare Var to the
tainted name (calling locally just loads the closure pair via
GEP — the pointer isn't stored anywhere).
Pessimism intentionally accepted: the analysis is not
flow-sensitive within an arm, not field-sensitive, not
inter-procedural. A pessimistic answer ("escapes" when it
doesn't) only loses optimisation opportunities, never
correctness. Sample of what's flagged escaping that maybe
shouldn't be: a let-bound `Pair(Int, Int)` where one field
projection is returned in tail position — the whole box flows
through the projection's taint, even though the Int value
itself doesn't share lifetime with the box. The journal section
"Observations" lists more examples.
The Lam body is itself a fn frame for the analyzer's purposes —
each lifted thunk runs its own analysis when `lower_lambda`
emits its body. Escape-analysis state is saved/restored across
the thunk's emission alongside the rest of the per-fn emitter
state.
**Codegen change.** Three allocation sites in
`crates/ailang-codegen/src/lib.rs` now branch on the per-fn
`non_escape: BTreeSet<usize>` (raw pointer addresses of
`Term::Ctor` / `Term::Lam` AST nodes flagged non-escaping):
1. `lower_ctor` — ADT box.
2. `lower_lambda` env block (when `cap_meta.len() > 0`).
3. `lower_lambda` closure pair (always 16 bytes).
A hit emits `<ssa> = alloca i8, i64 <size>, align 8`; a miss
emits `<ssa> = call ptr @GC_malloc(i64 <size>)`. Tag stores,
field stores, and closure-pair packing are unchanged. The
closure-pair and its env share a single escape verdict — they
have parallel lifetimes; if the closure pair is non-escaping,
the env is too.
The escape-analysis pass runs at the start of `emit_fn` (over
the fn body) and at the start of every lambda thunk emission
(over the thunk body). Cost: one tree walk per fn, O(node count).
Negligible compared to lower_term itself.
**IR diff samples.** Across all 20 shipped `examples/*.ail.json`
fixtures (excluding the new Iter 17a fixture), the analysis
flagged **0 of 270 ctor / lambda allocations** as non-escaping.
This is structurally expected: typical AILang code passes
freshly-built ctors directly into another fn ("LLM-style"
threading of values), so the let-binding shape required by the
rule rarely appears, and when it does the let-body almost
always passes the value to a fn (immediate escape). Concrete
counts per fixture (alloca / `@GC_malloc`):
- `box.ail.json`: 0 / 1
- `closure.ail.json`: 0 / 2
- `gc_stress.ail.json`: 0 / 2
- `list.ail.json`: 0 / 4
- `list_map.ail.json`: 0 / 7
- `list_map_poly.ail.json`: 0 / 6
- `lit_pat.ail.json`: 0 / 5
- `local_rec_*` (8 fixtures combined): 0 / 13
- `maybe_int.ail.json`: 0 / 2
- `nested_pat.ail.json`: 0 / 4
- `sort.ail.json`: 0 / 18
- `std_either_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 9
- `std_either_list_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 64
- `std_list_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 86
- `std_list_more_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 41
- `std_list_stress.ail.json`: 0 / 2
- `std_maybe_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 7
- `std_pair_demo.ail.json`: 0 / 9
The new Iter 17a fixture `examples/escape_local_demo.ail.json`
intentionally demonstrates the optimisation: 2 alloca / 0
`@GC_malloc`. Both `peek` and `count` build a `Box(_)`
let-bound, scrutinise it with a wildcard pattern (no pattern
binding flows out), and return a literal Int derived from
neither the Box nor its payload. Each call to `count(N)`
recursively builds a fresh stack-allocated Box per frame; with
the optimisation, a million-deep recursion would not heap-
allocate a single byte for those Boxes (only the recursion's
stack frames themselves grow). Without the optimisation
(pre-17a), each `count` call would heap-allocate a Box, all of
which would live until Boehm's next sweep.
**IR snapshot diffs.** The five existing IR snapshots
(`hello`, `sum`, `list`, `max3`, `ws_main`) are byte-identical
to pre-17a — none of those fixtures has a let-bound non-
escaping ctor allocation. Snapshot tests pass without refresh.
**Tests: 133 → 141 (+8).**
- e2e: 47 → 48 (`iter17a_local_box_alloca`).
- `ailang-codegen::tests`: 4 → 11 (+7 new escape-analysis unit
tests in `escape::tests`: `local_ctor_match_only`,
`returned_ctor_escapes`, `ctor_passed_as_arg_escapes`,
`ctor_stored_in_ctor_field_escapes`,
`pattern_binding_returned_escapes`, `local_lam_call_only`,
`lam_passed_as_arg_escapes`).
- All other test counts unchanged.
- IR snapshots: 5 → 5, no refresh needed (no fixture's IR
changed).
**Files touched.**
- `crates/ailang-codegen/src/escape.rs` (new, ~430 LOC incl.
doc and tests).
- `crates/ailang-codegen/src/lib.rs`: module declaration; new
`non_escape: NonEscapeSet` field on `Emitter`; analyse at
start of `emit_fn`; save/restore + re-analyse around lambda
thunk emission; new `term_ptr` parameter on `lower_ctor` and
`lower_lambda`; alloca-vs-GC_malloc branch at three sites
(ctor box, lambda env, closure pair).
- `crates/ail/tests/e2e.rs`: new test
`iter17a_local_box_alloca` (asserts stdout + IR contains
`alloca` / no `@GC_malloc` in the two demo fns).
- `examples/escape_local_demo.ailx` and `.ail.json`: new
fixture.
- `docs/DESIGN.md`: new "Per-fn arena via stack `alloca`
(Iter 17a)" subsection inside Decision 9; "Recently lifted
gates" preamble extended.
**Hash invariance verified.** No existing fixture's `.ail.json`
was touched; no AST shape changed; no schema bumped. Every
shipped fixture's def hashes are unchanged. The new
`escape_local_demo` fixture introduces three new hashes
(`peek`, `count`, `main`).
**Output bit-equality verified.** Manual smoke run of every
existing fixture: `sort` prints sorted list, `list_map_poly`
prints `2 3 4`, `gc_stress` prints `1275`, `std_list_demo`
prints the documented `5/false/true/1/4/10/5/2/2/15/15`,
etc. — all byte-identical to pre-17a stdout. The optimisation
is semantically transparent.
**Observations for the GC discussion.**
- **Vanishingly few non-escaping allocations in shipped code.**
0 / 270 alloca conversions across 20 existing fixtures. The
"build-locally, consume-locally" pattern (let X = Ctor in
match X of ... -> non-X) is not how AILang code is currently
written. Most fixtures thread freshly-built ctors directly
into another fn (immediate escape via the App-arg rule).
- **Most ctors are not let-bound at all.** They appear as
inline ctor field values (`Cons h (Cons (...) (...))`), as
the value of a fn return, or as direct args to a fn call.
An escape-analysis rule restricted to let-bound allocations
cannot catch these. A more aggressive rule that gives a
"name" to inline allocations and tracks their flow could
catch some of these — but at MVP scale most ctor data
honestly is shared between fns (linked-list spines, etc.),
so the precision gain may be small.
- **Polymorphic patterns make the escape-analysis question
harder.** `std_list.length`'s body is `fold_left (\c _. c+1)
0 xs`. The lambda `\c _. c+1` is passed as App arg →
escapes. But it has no captures — the env block is empty
(null). Lifting this to a top-level fn (which the codegen
already does for top-level fns via the static closure-pair
global) would mean zero heap allocation for that lambda. A
"lift no-capture lambdas in arg position" optimisation is
adjacent to escape analysis but separate, and probably has
better hit rate than the current rule.
- **Pattern-binding taint is too pessimistic for product
types.** A `let p = Pair(x, y) in match p of (a, b) -> a +
b` is currently flagged escaping (because `a` and `b` are
tainted, both flow to tail of `+`). The Int values do not
share lifetime with the `Pair` box; once they're projected
to register they're free of the box. A field-sensitive
analysis would catch this. Refactor potential: the existing
`std_pair_demo` exercises exactly this shape repeatedly.
- **Ctor allocations as ctor fields look like escapes but are
recursive: the inner Cons in `Cons h (Cons t Nil)` could in
principle alloca alongside the outer Cons if the outer is
itself non-escaping (parallel lifetimes). The current rule
doesn't see this because only let-bound allocations are
candidates; an inline allocation in field position is never
considered.
- **Closures rarely qualify in real code.** Lambdas almost
always escape via being passed to a HOF (`map`, `fold_*`,
`filter`). The let-bound closure called only locally (e.g.,
`let f = \x. body in f(arg)`) is the unit-test shape, not
the production shape. The closure-pair is currently the
most expensive single allocation per HOF use site (16 bytes
for the pair plus N×8 for the env). The all-or-nothing
GC-vs-alloca question is the wrong shape for closures —
many of them have very short, predictable lifetimes (HOF
arg → callee invokes → return) but cross enough fn frames
that pure stack alloca isn't sound.
- **Real-world wins concentrate in fns that locally
destructure intermediate ADTs.** The Iter 17a fixture
(`escape_local_demo`) is the canonical shape: build a
temporary box, look inside it, return something derived
from neither. This shape exists in real code (sentinel
values, scratch wrappers for type juggling) but is rare in
the current AILang stdlib because the stdlib is mostly
list/option combinators that propagate their input.
- **Tail-call interaction is benign.** The `musttail call`
shape from Iter 14e is unaffected: alloca'd memory is
freed at fn return, but `musttail` requires that no live
alloca's address escape into the call. The escape analysis
already rules out tainted values flowing into App args
(which is what tail-call args are), so any allocation that
reaches alloca cannot have its pointer used as a tail-call
arg. No regression.
- **Boehm conservative scan benefits from the shrinkage.**
Every alloca is one fewer GC root for the conservative
scan to potentially false-positive on. At small scale the
heap is small enough that this doesn't matter; at larger
scale the over-retention rate of conservative GC drops as
the heap shrinks, so even a small alloca conversion rate
improves collector precision. Hard to quantify without
Boehm-internal stats.
**Anything noticed but did NOT touch (per scope discipline).**
- The "lift no-capture lambdas in arg position" optimisation
(turn `\c _. c+1` passed to `fold_left` into a static
closure-pair, no allocation at all). Adjacent and probably
higher hit rate; out of scope here.
- A field-sensitive escape analysis to recover product-type
precision (`Pair`, `Box`-of-scalar). Would require
per-field taint and projection tracking; out of scope.
- An aggressive analysis that names inline allocations and
tracks their flow through ctor fields. Would catch the
`Cons (Cons (...) (...)) ...` recursion case. Out of scope.
- ADT structural equality (still rejected at codegen). 16e
punted; Iter 17a does not change that.
- The `!=` polymorphism mirror (one-line change). Still
queued without a number; not picked up here.
**Test count delta.** Workspace: 133 → 141 (+8). All green.
**Queue update post-17a.** 17a closes. Per the iter brief,
**post-17a is gated on a user GC discussion — do not pick up
further iters until that conversation happens.** Open queue
items remaining (untouched): `closure-of-self` (informally
16b.5-body); `closure-poly` (informally 16b.5b); `16c-aux`
(`std_list::take`/`drop` refactor onto lit patterns); the
low-priority `!=` mirror of 16e. Adjacent ideas surfaced in
the Observations section above are explicitly NOT queued —
they require user sign-off on whether the project's GC
direction is "improve precision of stack-alloca", "replace
Boehm with a precise collector", or something else entirely.
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{"defs":[{"ctors":[{"fields":[{"k":"var","name":"a"}],"name":"MkBox"}],"kind":"type","name":"Box","vars":["a"]},{"body":{"body":{"arms":[{"body":{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":42},"t":"lit"},"pat":{"ctor":"MkBox","fields":[{"p":"wild"}],"p":"ctor"}}],"scrutinee":{"name":"b","t":"var"},"t":"match"},"name":"b","t":"let","value":{"args":[{"name":"n","t":"var"}],"ctor":"MkBox","t":"ctor","type":"Box"}},"doc":"Build a Box(n), discard the payload, return 42. The Box is non-escaping.","kind":"fn","name":"peek","params":["n"],"type":{"effects":[],"k":"fn","params":[{"k":"con","name":"Int"}],"ret":{"k":"con","name":"Int"}}},{"body":{"cond":{"args":[{"name":"n","t":"var"},{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":0},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"<=","t":"var"},"t":"app"},"else":{"body":{"arms":[{"body":{"args":[{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":1},"t":"lit"},{"args":[{"args":[{"name":"n","t":"var"},{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":1},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"-","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"fn":{"name":"count","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"fn":{"name":"+","t":"var"},"t":"app"},"pat":{"ctor":"MkBox","fields":[{"p":"wild"}],"p":"ctor"}}],"scrutinee":{"name":"b","t":"var"},"t":"match"},"name":"b","t":"let","value":{"args":[{"name":"n","t":"var"}],"ctor":"MkBox","t":"ctor","type":"Box"}},"t":"if","then":{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":0},"t":"lit"}},"doc":"Recurse n times; each call builds a temporary Box, discards its payload via _, and returns 0 if n<=0, else 1 + count(n-1).","kind":"fn","name":"count","params":["n"],"type":{"effects":[],"k":"fn","params":[{"k":"con","name":"Int"}],"ret":{"k":"con","name":"Int"}}},{"body":{"lhs":{"args":[{"args":[{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":0},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"peek","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"op":"io/print_int","t":"do"},"rhs":{"lhs":{"args":[{"args":[{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":123},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"peek","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"op":"io/print_int","t":"do"},"rhs":{"lhs":{"args":[{"args":[{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":5},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"count","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"op":"io/print_int","t":"do"},"rhs":{"args":[{"args":[{"lit":{"kind":"int","value":0},"t":"lit"}],"fn":{"name":"count","t":"var"},"t":"app"}],"op":"io/print_int","t":"do"},"t":"seq"},"t":"seq"},"t":"seq"},"kind":"fn","name":"main","params":[],"type":{"effects":["IO"],"k":"fn","params":[],"ret":{"k":"con","name":"Unit"}}}],"imports":[],"name":"escape_local_demo","schema":"ailang/v0"}
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; Iter 17a — first fixture exercising the per-fn arena (alloca for
; non-escaping allocations).
;
; `peek` builds a Box(n) and immediately matches on it, returning
; a literal Int that does not depend on the box's payload. The
; box's value is fully consumed by the local match — it never
; flows to a fn arg, never becomes a ctor field, never returns.
; Iter 17a's escape analysis flags the `(term-ctor Box MkBox n)`
; allocation as non-escaping; codegen lowers it to LLVM `alloca`
; instead of `@GC_malloc`. Boehm's heap is not touched at all by
; this fn.
;
; `count` repeats the same pattern under recursion: each call to
; `count` builds a fresh Box(_), matches it, and returns either 0
; or 1 + (count rest). Without the alloca optimisation, each
; recursive frame leaks a Box onto the GC heap until collection;
; with the optimisation, each frame's Box dies with its frame.
;
; Expected stdout (one per line):
; 42 — peek(0) returns the literal 42 from the only arm
; 42 — peek(123) ditto (the input value never reaches stdout)
; 5 — count(5)
; 0 — count(0)
(module escape_local_demo
(data Box (vars a)
(ctor MkBox a))
(fn peek
(doc "Build a Box(n), discard the payload, return 42. The Box is non-escaping.")
(type (fn-type (params (con Int)) (ret (con Int))))
(params n)
(body
(let b (term-ctor Box MkBox n)
(match b
(case (pat-ctor MkBox _) 42)))))
(fn count
(doc "Recurse n times; each call builds a temporary Box, discards its payload via _, and returns 0 if n<=0, else 1 + count(n-1).")
(type (fn-type (params (con Int)) (ret (con Int))))
(params n)
(body
(if (app <= n 0)
0
(let b (term-ctor Box MkBox n)
(match b
(case (pat-ctor MkBox _) (app + 1 (app count (app - n 1)))))))))
(fn main
(type (fn-type (params) (ret (con Unit)) (effects IO)))
(params)
(body
(seq (do io/print_int (app peek 0))
(seq (do io/print_int (app peek 123))
(seq (do io/print_int (app count 5))
(do io/print_int (app count 0))))))))