P2 Taqoz V2.8: lutLongs, Value Type Variables, Locals --- now in LUT and faster

Christof Eb.

Hi,
this is an update to https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/174531/taqoz-reloaded-2-8-better-readability-named-local-variables#latest

and https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/173841/p2-taqoz-forth-v2-8-some-tools-value-simple-local-variables-dcf77#latest

lutLongs ( n ) works like longs but the variable will be located at the end of LUT memory, private for each cog.

value ( n ) gives the value type variables, which place their content onto the stack by default. If the use is preceded by "to" the top of stack will be placed in the variable. If the use is preceded by "+to" the top of stack will be added to the variable.
to and +to set a flag variable, which is now a lutLong. Speed for values is now greatly accelerated.
Be sure to clear the flag tosetL using the word "toInit" if code is RUN in a new cog!

Named locals make forth text very much better readable and the code is often more easy to write. Their behavior is like values.
This uses a modified stack diagram as syntax for the definition of the variable names.
{: starts the definitions of names of initialized local variables
, starts the definitions of names of non-initialized local variables
-- starts comment
} finish of the modified stack diagram
These locals are of type VALUE and can be written with a preceding to or +to.

: printSum {: numberL# , sumL# -- } \ 1 locals initialized , 2 locals total 
   0 to sumL#
   numberL# 1+ 0 do 
      i +to sumL#
   loop
   sumL# .
;

Implementation of the locals:
When locals are used, a stack frame of 5 (always!) longs is created by moving the stack pointer of the auxiliary stack in LUT memory, private to the cog. The locals are located in that frame. At the end of the word the stack pointer is moved back. It took me a while to find a way to implement named locals. Some difficulty is given because the stack diagram follows the already begun colon definition. In Taqoz there are 2 separate parts of the dictionary. So it is possible to define ALIAS names for the locals while the compilation of the new word is already running. The compiler will then instantly find/use the new names. No modification of the compiler itself is necessary.

Limitations:

• The auxiliary stack may not be used within the same word, because the stack pointer gives the position of the stack frame. It may be used in other words.
• To move back the stack pointer the word has to finish with the modified ";" .
• Number of local variables is limited to 5 per word by choice. - I had started with 3 only and then incremented this. 5 seems to cover most.
• The ALIAS function might overwrite old words and the local names will be found by the compiler after the definition.
• Decompiling with SEE or DECOMP will show the last ALIAS names for the local variables. So it is advisable to use these directly following the word definition.
• If there is an error while compiling a name of a local will be displayed instead of the name the word and you have to FORGET the faulty word.

Speed comparison with some fibonacci code:

toset in LUT and with locals in LUT
fiboAsm:    1836311903 1177     100 pc to Assembler
fiboCog:    1836311903 585      49 pc to Assembler
fiboForth:  1836311903 7313     621 pc to Assembler
fiboValues: 1836311903 83617    7104 pc to Assembler
fiboLocals: 1836311903 59329    5040 pc to Assembler
fiboLut: 1836311903 77057       6546 pc to Assembler
fiboGlobals: 1836311903 53209   4520 pc to Assembler ok

So now the different types of variables are more or less in the same league. Traditional stack Forth code is allmost 10 times faster, because in this case the variables are held in cog registers and the used word codes are in cog ram too. But can you read this?

: fiboForth ( n -- f )  \ Fibonacci Reihe, liefert letztes Ergebnis
    0 1 
    ROT 1 - FOR 
        SWAP OVER  
        + 
    NEXT
    SWAP DROP
;

I think, this is more readable:

: fiboLocals {: n , a b c -- f }
    0 to a   1 to b   0 to c
    n for
        b to a
        c to b
        a +to c
    next
    c 
;

Have Fun, Christof

Christof Eb.

Found a Bug, updated.