M2compiler-V3/docs/summary_step5.7.md

V3 step 5.7 — SYSTEM facilities + Storage (done 2026-09-22)

Unblocks the pointer/generic-memory layer needed by the syslib port. Suite 98/98. LL(1)-clean, zero gm2 warnings.

SYSTEM facilities (built-in, no import)

Following V3's "built-in over module" choice (like NEW/DISPOSE), the SYSTEM basics are predef rather than an importable module (a documented divergence from ISO):

• ADDRESS — new predef type, pointer-sized (l), class ClPtr. Interchangeable with any POINTER TO T for assignment and VAR parameters (Assignable/VarParamOk rules), and NIL-assignable.
• ADR(x) — address of an addressable designator (var, param, or any indexed/field/deref designator); result ADDRESS. 230 on non-addressable operands.
• SIZE(x) / TSIZE(x) — full allocation footprint (SymTab.ObjectSize: arrays 8 + count*element, else inline TypeSize); result INTEGER.

Storage (stdlib/storage)

ALLOCATE(VAR p : ADDRESS; size), DEALLOCATE(VAR p : ADDRESS; size) (nils p), REALLOCATE(VAR p : ADDRESS; oldSize, newSize), binding libc malloc/free/realloc directly. Because ADDRESS is interchangeable with typed pointers, the classic idiom works:

TYPE PP = POINTER TO P;
ALLOCATE(p, SIZE(p^));   (* p : PP *)
p^.x := 30; ...
DEALLOCATE(p, SIZE(p^))

Test

StorageProg → 42: allocates a record through a typed pointer, writes two fields, checks ADR(p^.x) # NIL, frees. Image shows call $malloc(w size) / call $free(l addr).

Deferred

VAL/CAST (type-operand casts), BYTE, and the runtime/syslib SYSTEM/Trap modules — these land with the step-7 syslib port, which this step now unblocks (FileIO can allocate its descriptors via Storage).