mirror of
https://github.com/imjasonh/nescript
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db3a4adc57
Programs that put functions in switchable banks can now call across
bank boundaries — `bank A { fun step() { helper() } }` where
`helper` lives in `bank B` used to panic in the IR codegen. Three
small pieces unblock it:
1. **Generic trampoline.** `runtime/gen_bank_trampoline` no longer
takes a `fixed_bank_index` argument. Instead it reads the
caller's current bank from `ZP_BANK_CURRENT`, pushes it on the
hardware stack, switches to the target, JSRs the entry, then
pulls and restores the saved bank. The same per-callee stub
works for fixed→banked and banked→banked direction; nested
trampolines compose because each PHA/PLA pair sits inside its
own JSR/RTS frame. `gen_mapper_init` seeds `ZP_BANK_CURRENT`
with the fixed bank index for any banked mapper so the very
first cross-bank call from the fixed bank still restores to
the fixed bank (matching pre-banked-banked semantics).
2. **Codegen drops the panic.** The `Some(from), Some(to)` arm in
the call-resolution switch now emits `JSR __tramp_<name>` like
the fixed→banked case instead of panicking. Banked→fixed calls
still go direct (the fixed bank is always mapped at $C000).
3. **Bank-namespaced local labels.** Two banks emitting the same
`__ir_cmp_e_8` would trip the linker's discovery-pass duplicate-
label check the moment any banked code generated a comparison.
The new `local_label_suffix` helper prefixes the suffix with the
current bank name when banked code is being emitted, leaving
fixed-bank label generation untouched (so existing examples are
byte-identical apart from the trampoline / init bytes
themselves).
The new `examples/uxrom_banked_to_banked.ne` demonstrates the path
end-to-end: `bank Logic { fun step() { ... clamp() } }` calls
`bank Helpers { fun clamp() { ... } }` once per frame. The harness
golden is committed alongside it. The five existing banked example
ROMs change byte-for-byte because of the new trampoline shape and
the seed-ZP_BANK_CURRENT init, but their emulator goldens still
match exactly — observable behaviour is unchanged.
https://claude.ai/code/session_01KEczoNUX3WmcFLfq6iAQxB
138 lines
7.2 KiB
Markdown
138 lines
7.2 KiB
Markdown
# NEScript
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A statically-typed, compiled programming language for NES game development.
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NEScript compiles `.ne` source files directly into playable iNES ROM files, with no external assembler or linker dependencies. The compiler handles everything from source text to a ROM you can run in any NES emulator.
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_Source: [`examples/platformer.ne`](examples/platformer.ne)_
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## Quick Start
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```bash
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# Build the compiler
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cargo build --release
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# Compile an example
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cargo run -- build examples/hello_sprite.ne
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# Run the output ROM in an emulator
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# (produces examples/hello_sprite.nes)
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```
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## Hello World
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```
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game "Hello" {
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mapper: NROM
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}
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var px: u8 = 128
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var py: u8 = 120
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on frame {
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if button.right { px += 2 }
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if button.left { px -= 2 }
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if button.down { py += 2 }
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if button.up { py -= 2 }
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draw Smiley at: (px, py)
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}
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start Main
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```
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## Features
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- **Game-aware syntax** -- states, sprites, palettes, backgrounds, and input are first-class constructs
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- **Full type system** -- `u8`, `i8`, `u16`, `bool`, fixed-size arrays (`u8[N]`), `enum`, `struct`
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- **Rich control flow** -- `if`/`else`, `while`, `for i in 0..N`, `loop`, `match`
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- **Functions** -- with parameters, return types, `inline` hint, recursion detection
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- **State machines** -- `state` with `on enter`, `on exit`, `on frame`, `on scanline(N)` handlers
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- **Compile-time safety** -- call depth limits, recursion detection, type checking, unused-var warnings
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- **IR-based optimizer** -- constant folding, dead code elimination, strength reduction (incl. div/mod by power-of-two), copy propagation, peephole passes including INC/DEC fold and live-range slot recycling
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- **Full 16-bit arithmetic** -- u16 add/sub/compare lower to carry-propagating paired operations
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- **Multiple mappers** -- NROM, MMC1, UxROM, MMC3 (including multi-scanline IRQ dispatch per state)
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- **Audio subsystem** -- frame-walking pulse driver with user-declared `sfx`/`music` blocks, builtin effects and tracks, period table, and zero-cost elision when unused
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- **Palette & background pipeline** -- `palette` and `background` blocks, initial values loaded at reset, vblank-safe `set_palette` / `load_background` runtime swaps
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- **Asset pipeline** -- PNG-to-CHR conversion, inline tile data, sfx envelopes, music note streams
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- **Inline assembly** -- `asm { ... }` with `{var}` substitution, plus `raw asm { ... }` for verbatim blocks
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- **Hardware intrinsics** -- `poke(addr, value)` / `peek(addr)` for direct register access
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- **Debug support** -- `--debug` flag enables `debug.log` / `debug.assert` writes to the emulator debug port
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- **Compile-time diagnostics** -- `--dump-ir`, `--memory-map`, `--call-graph` flags
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- **Single binary** -- no dependencies on ca65, Python, or any external tools
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## Documentation
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- **[Language Guide](docs/language-guide.md)** -- complete reference for every language feature
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- **[Architecture](docs/architecture.md)** -- compiler internals and module overview
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- **[NES Reference](docs/nes-reference.md)** -- hardware quick reference for contributors
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- **[Examples README](examples/README.md)** -- how to build and run examples
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## Examples
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| Example | Features demonstrated |
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| [`hello_sprite.ne`](examples/hello_sprite.ne) | D-pad input, sprite drawing |
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| [`bouncing_ball.ne`](examples/bouncing_ball.ne) | Automatic movement, edge detection |
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| [`coin_cavern.ne`](examples/coin_cavern.ne) | Multi-state game, functions, constants, gravity |
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| [`arrays_and_functions.ne`](examples/arrays_and_functions.ne) | Arrays, functions, while loops, inline functions |
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| [`state_machine.ne`](examples/state_machine.ne) | State transitions, on enter/exit, timers |
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| [`sprites_and_palettes.ne`](examples/sprites_and_palettes.ne) | Inline CHR data, scroll, type casting |
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| [`mmc1_banked.ne`](examples/mmc1_banked.ne) | MMC1 mapper, bank declarations, multiply |
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| [`uxrom_user_banked.ne`](examples/uxrom_user_banked.ne) | UxROM mapper with a `bank Foo { fun ... }` block — first example to put real user code in a switchable bank, called via a generated cross-bank trampoline |
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| [`uxrom_banked_to_banked.ne`](examples/uxrom_banked_to_banked.ne) | UxROM with two `bank Foo { fun ... }` blocks — exercises a banked→banked call (`step` in `Logic` calls `clamp` in `Helpers`) routed through the same trampoline that handles fixed→banked |
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| [`palette_and_background.ne`](examples/palette_and_background.ne) | Palette and background declarations, reset-time load, vblank-safe `set_palette` / `load_background` swaps |
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| [`friendly_assets.ne`](examples/friendly_assets.ne) | **Pleasant asset syntax** — named NES colours, grouped `bg0..sp3` palettes with `universal:`, ASCII pixel-art sprites, `legend { } + map:` tilemaps, `palette_map:` attribute grids, scalar sfx `pitch:`, note-name music with `tempo:` |
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| [`structs_enums_for.ne`](examples/structs_enums_for.ne) | Structs, enums, `for` loops, struct literals |
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| [`nested_structs.ne`](examples/nested_structs.ne) | Nested-struct fields (`hero.pos.x`) and array struct fields (`hero.inv[0]`) with chained literal initializers |
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| [`inline_asm_demo.ne`](examples/inline_asm_demo.ne) | Inline asm with `{var}` substitution, `poke`/`peek` |
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| [`audio_demo.ne`](examples/audio_demo.ne) | Audio subsystem: user `sfx`/`music` blocks, builtin effects, `play`/`start_music`/`stop_music` |
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| [`noise_triangle_sfx.ne`](examples/noise_triangle_sfx.ne) | Noise and triangle channel sfx via `channel: noise` / `channel: triangle` on `sfx` blocks |
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| [`platformer.ne`](examples/platformer.ne) | **End-to-end side-scroller** — custom CHR tileset, full background nametable, metasprite player with gravity/jump physics, wrap-around scrolling, stomp-or-die enemy collisions, live stomp-count HUD, pickup coins, user-declared SFX + music, and a Title → Playing → GameOver state machine with a proximity-based autopilot so the headless harness demonstrates the full gameplay loop (stomp, stomp, die, retry) inside six seconds |
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## Compiler Commands
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```bash
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# Compile to ROM
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nescript build game.ne
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# Compile with custom output path
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nescript build game.ne --output my_game.nes
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# Type-check only (no ROM output)
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nescript check game.ne
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# View generated 6502 assembly
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nescript build game.ne --asm-dump
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# Enable debug mode
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nescript build game.ne --debug
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```
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## Emulator Compatibility
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Output ROMs are standard iNES format and work with any NES emulator:
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- **[Mesen](https://www.mesen.ca/)** -- recommended, best debugging support
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- **[FCEUX](https://fceux.com/)**
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- **[Nestopia](http://nestopia.sourceforge.net/)**
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## Project Status
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NEScript implements all five planned milestones:
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| Milestone | Status | Key Features |
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|-----------|--------|-------------|
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| M1: Hello Sprite | Done | Full compiler pipeline, assembler, ROM builder |
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| M2: Game Loop | Done | Functions, arrays, IR, optimizer, call graph analysis |
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| M3: Asset Pipeline | Done | PNG-to-CHR, sprites, `debug.log` / `debug.assert` |
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| M4: Optimization | Done | Strength reduction, ZP promotion, type casting, asm-dump |
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| M5: Bank Switching | Done | MMC1/UxROM/MMC3, bank declarations, software mul/div |
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497 tests across the lexer, parser, analyzer, IR, optimizer, codegen, assembler, linker, runtime, ROM, and asset modules, with CI running fmt, clippy, test, and example compilation on every push.
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## License
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[MIT](LICENSE)
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