From 06d0b4d2bfbc56437853dbeefdba066d730242ef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Emin Arslan <me@emin.engineer>
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2026 19:10:14 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] vm: wrote an initial sketch of a rough bytecode VM

---
 lib/vm/dune  |  3 ++
 lib/vm/vm.ml | 87 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 90 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 lib/vm/dune
 create mode 100644 lib/vm/vm.ml

diff --git a/lib/vm/dune b/lib/vm/dune
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d65764e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vm/dune
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(library
+ (name vm)
+ )
diff --git a/lib/vm/vm.ml b/lib/vm/vm.ml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0a3582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/vm/vm.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+
+type value =
+  | Int of int
+  | Double of float
+  | String of string
+  | Nil
+  | Cons of value * value
+  | Symbol of string
+  | Closure of int * value ref list
+  | NativeClosure of (value -> value)
+
+type instr =  
+  | Constant of int
+  | LoadLocal of int
+  | LoadGlobal of int
+  | StoreLocal of int
+  | StoreGlobal of int
+  | Pop (* discards top of stack *)
+  | Apply
+  | MakeClosure of int
+  | Jump of int
+  | JumpF of int (* jump if false. *)
+  | End
+
+type vm_state = {
+    mutable i : int;
+    instrs : instr array;
+    globals : value array;
+    constants : value array;
+    mutable env : value ref list;
+    mutable stack : value list
+  }
+
+(* TODO: add facilities to print the VM state in case of errors. *)
+
+let do_local state i f =
+  match List.nth_opt state.env i with
+  | None -> failwith "Invalid index for local access"
+  | Some x -> f x
+let load_local state i =
+  do_local state i (!)
+let set_local state i v =
+  do_local state i (fun r -> r := v)
+
+let pop_one state =
+  match state.stack with
+  | v :: rest -> state.stack <- rest; v
+  | [] -> failwith "VM error: cannot pop from empty stack!"
+
+let push state v =
+  state.stack <- v :: state.stack
+
+let rec do_apply state =
+  let cur_env = state.env in
+  let cur_i = state.i in
+  let f = pop_one state in
+  let arg = pop_one state in
+  match f with
+  | Closure (x, e) ->
+     state.env <- e;
+     state.i <- x;
+     interpret state;
+     state.env <- cur_env;
+     state.i <- cur_i
+  | NativeClosure f ->
+     push state (f arg)
+  | _ -> failwith "Cannot apply non-closure object"
+
+and interpret state =
+  let i = state.i in
+  state.i <- i + 1;
+  (match state.instrs.(state.i) with
+  | Constant x -> push state state.constants.(x) ; interpret state
+  | LoadLocal x -> push state (load_local state x) ; interpret state
+  | LoadGlobal x -> push state state.globals.(x) ; interpret state
+  | StoreLocal x -> set_local state x (pop_one state) ; interpret state
+  | StoreGlobal x -> Array.set state.globals x (pop_one state) ; interpret state
+  | Pop -> ignore (pop_one state) ; interpret state
+  | Apply -> do_apply state ; interpret state
+  | MakeClosure x -> push state (Closure (x, state.env)); interpret state
+  | Jump target -> state.i <- target ; interpret state
+  | JumpF target ->
+     (match (pop_one state) with
+     | Nil -> state.i <- target
+     | _ -> ()); interpret state 
+  | End -> ())
+