# Session handoff — 2026-10-08

Branch **`generics-inc1`** (off `ast-stage-c`).  Working tree clean.

Current state: **suite 189/189**, **FIXPOINT OK (3,490,054 bytes)**.

## Where the branches/tags stand

- `ast-stage-c` — the L7 refactor + language work (tags below), HEAD
  `0f611c0 docs: GOTO/labels landed`.
- `generics-inc1` — `ast-stage-c` + Increment 1 of generics, HEAD
  `55d2e7c docs: generics inc1 status + inc2 plan`.

Tags on `ast-stage-c` (chronological):
`v3-lower7-flip`, `v3-lower7-decoupled`, `v3-lower7-complete`,
`v3-fix-arrrecfield`, `v3-arrrecfield-complete`, `v3-status-2026-10-08`,
`v3-composite-results`, `v3-chain-calls`, `v3-goto`.

## What this session did

**L7 refactor — done.**  Lower is the only emitter; the inline emit was
deleted from statements, control flow, declarations,
expressions/designators, calls and `ProcHeading`.  Found and fixed a
latent **VAR-actual note-ring bug** (`RestoreSession` now clears the
ring).  Swept dead code (0 unreferenced procs).  Retired `-lower` and
the degenerate byte-compare tests (suite 204 → 181).

**Language / correctness work (all on `ast-stage-c`):**
- **array-of-record inline length words** — small arrays expand inline,
  large ones get a generated **run-time init loop** (`t_arrrecfld`,
  `t_arrrecbig`).
- **statement-context result suffixes** (`F()^.x := e`, `t_stmtsfx`).
- **composite function results** (record/array/set, sret) — which also
  fixed **methods with local variables** (their block decls were never
  stored); `t_retrec`, `t_retmeth`.
- **class results + chained post-call method calls** (`F().M()`,
  `t_chain`).
- **`GOTO`/labels** — required splitting `Design` into
  `Design` + `DesignTail` to resolve the LL(1) label/designator clash;
  `t_goto`, `t_gotobad`.

**Docs refreshed:** `STATUS.md`, `analysis_gaps.md`, `features.md`,
`analysis_generics.md`.

## Generics (the active thread)

Syntax chosen: **ISO 10514-2** generic modules + refinement
(`../Generics/m2generic-syntaxe-analysis.md`).

**Increment 1 — done (`e1d0472`).**  Grammar recognition of the four
module categories:
`GENERIC DEFINITION/IMPLEMENTATION MODULE M (E : TYPE); …` and
`DEFINITION/IMPLEMENTATION MODULE X = M(actuals); …`.  Formals are
unresolved alias types (`SymTab.EnterTypeParam`); refinements are
recorded.  A refinement still yields an **empty** module.

**Increment 2 — the next step.**  Instantiate by **re-parsing the
generic source with a substitution scope**, driven by a driver session
pre-pass:
1. record each generic's def/impl **file path** when parsed;
2. on a refinement, re-open the generic, bind formals to actuals, name
   the module `X`, dedup, and lower it **before** the importer;
3. move the normal body's `BeginDef` into the `;` branch so the
   refinement does not pre-register `X`; add
   `SymTab.EnterTypeParamBound`; add a grammar instantiation context
   (`instActive`/`instName`/`instActual`) + accessors
   (`IsGenericUnit`, `IsRefinementUnit`, `GetRefinement`,
   `SetInstantiation`); add the driver re-parse logic.

Details and the full plan are in `docs/analysis_generics.md` (top note).

## Also still open (from `docs/STATUS.md` / `analysis_gaps.md`)

- L7 item 7 (delete `SaveSession`/`RestoreSession`/`SetNoEmit`) —
  blocked on the grammar's last suppressed writers; low payoff.
- **Library holes** (device/IO framework, `docs/wip/chanconsts.*`,
  `streamfile.*`).
- **Robustness**: `M2` exits 0 on errors / aborts on a missing input
  file; weak error recovery; fixed table limits.
- The latent **size-sensitive V3 miscompile** (removing `ASTDUMP` from
  `M2.atg` breaks the fixpoint).
- Generics increments 3–4 (multiple/const params, proc params,
  constraints, `GENERIC CLASS`).

## How to resume

```sh
cd compiler && ./build.sh && ./run_tests.sh   # 189/189
cd .. && bootstrap/fixpoint.sh                # FIXPOINT OK
git log --oneline -5
```