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object model §6a: kind-2 program-symbol atoms need a traced value word in StaticAtom

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Assessment

Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Newbie friendliness
18/100
Issue type
Feature
Clarity
Mostly clear
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
rust
Domain
compilers

Research direction

Start with the object model §6a spec and the StaticAtom struct, which currently holds only hash, string, kind and index. Follow register_one to see how atoms are bound before user code runs, and find where the GC traces pointers. Done means kind-2 atoms are emitted by codegen, bound at module init, traced by the GC, given a fixed layout slot like string keys, and the gc_effects tables are regenerated. The coordinator decision requires a §6a amendment alongside the first step.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

Object model §6a, follow-up from step 7.

StaticAtom.kind = 2 (program symbol: a module-level const s = Symbol(desc)) is specified but not implemented. Step 7 deliberately left it out because arrays only need well-known symbols (kind 1, Symbol.iterator).

The missing piece is where the bound value lives. The runtime must bind each program-symbol atom to the symbol it creates at module init. That value is a GC-traced pointer, and StaticAtom today has only hash/string/kind/index.

Decision (coordinator): add a traced value word to StaticAtom together with the first step that needs program-symbol keys, recorded as a §6a amendment at that time. No side table and no pinned symbols.

Done when:

  • the codegen emits kind-2 atoms;
  • register_one accepts them and binds them before user code runs;
  • the GC traces the value word;
  • a program-symbol key gets a fixed layout slot like a string key;
  • the gc_effects tables are regenerated.
Dominant language
Rust
Stars
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Forks
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Avg merge
2h 54m
Merged PRs (30d)
922

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