README.md

Argo

ArgoVM is a stack-based virtual machine similar to JVM.

It runs the file provided by ArgoC (Argo Compiler) which transform the argo-lang into an executable byte-code format.

Instruction Set

OP	Usage	Function
HLT	HLT	Terminate the program
NOP	NOP	Nothing
PSH	PSH, value	Pushes value on the stack
POP	POP	Pops value from stack
ADD	ADD	Pops the last two values from the stack, it sums then push the result
SUB	SUB	Pops the last two values from the stack, it subtracts then push the result
MUL	MUL	Pops the last two values from the stack, it multiplies then push the result
DIV	DIV	Pops the last two values from the stack, it divides then push the results (value and rest)
NEG	NEG	Pops the last value from the stack, it negate then push the results
SWP	SWP	Pops the last two values from the stack, it swap them then push the result on the stack
CMP	CMP	Peeks the last two values from the stack, then set the CMP register to one of these values: (EQUALS, LESSER, GREATER)
JMP	JMP, idx	Jumps at given instruction index
JEQ	JEQ, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is set to EQUALS
JNE	JNE, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is NOT set to EQUALS
JMG	JMG, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is set to GREATER
JML	JML, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is set to LESSER
JGE	JGE, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is set to EQUALS or GREATER
JLE	JLE, idx	Jumps at given instruction index only if the CMP flag is set to EQUALS or LESSER
CLL	CLL, idx	Executes the given routine identifier
RET	RET	Routine specific instruction, it's used to terminate the current routine flow
PRINT	PRINT	Peeks the last value from the stack and print it.

Grammar

Basics

Let's see some syntax in action

# sum.argo
#
# Define the main function (entry point)

:main {
    PSH, 5
    PSH, 4
    ADD
    PRINT
    HLT
}

Iteration

You can reproduce any conditional-structure you like with the following instructions

# iterate.argo
#
# function main() {
#   for(var i = 0; i <= 100; ++i) {
#     print(i); 
#   }
# }
#

:main {
  PSH, 1
  PRINT
  PSH, 1
  ADD
  PSH, 100 
  CMP
  POP
  JLE, 2
  HLT
}

Routines

Splitting the code workflow among other calls, arguments should be pushed on stack before calling the function meanwhile the return address is managed automatically.

# The following .argo equals to this code:
# 
# function printer(var x){
#   print(x);
# }
#
# function sum(var a, var b) {
#   return a + b;
# }
#
# function main() {
#   printer(sum(5, 4));
#   return;
# }
#

:main {
    PSH, 5
    PSH, 4 
    CLL, sum 
    HLT
}

:sum {
    ADD
    CLL, printer
    RET
}

:printer {
    PRINT
    RET
}

The workflow

This is how its expected to work at the end of development:

Argonauts (Lang) -> Argo (ASM) -> Bytecode (ArgoCode) -> ArgoVM

Currently there is no Argonauts lang, I'm still working on Argo.

Project

Structure

The current ArgoVM is written in C meanwhile the compiler ArgoC is written using Java, some additionals dev-tools are made in Perl.

src
|
|-- assembler  # The ArgoC  home directory
|-- vm         # The ArgoVM home directory

TODO ...