Code structure

The highlevel architecture is illustrated as below:

Lambda IR (OCaml compiler libs) ---+
  |   ^                            |                      
  |   |                     Lambda Passes (lam_* files) 
  |   |             Optimization/inlining/dead code elimination
  |   \                            |
  |    \ --------------------------+ 
  |
  |  Self tail call elimination
  |  Constant folding + propagation
  V
JS IR (J.ml)  ---------------------+
  |   ^                            |
  |   |                     JS Passes (js_* files)
  |   |            Optimization/inlining/dead code elimination
  |   \                            |
  |    \  -------------------------+
  |        
  |  Smart printer includes scope analysis 
  |
  V
Javascript Code 

Note that there is one design goal to keep in mind, never introduce any meaningless symbol unless real necessary, we do optimizations, however, it should also compile readable output code.

Dependencies and Dev-Build

Build the compiler

If you don't change the type definition of JS IR, i.e, j.ml, then the only dependency is the build tool: ocamlbuild

ocamlbuild  -no-hygiene -cflags -g,-w,-40-30,-warn-error,+a-40-30,-keep-locs,-I,+compiler-libs  compiler.cmxa 

make  bin/bsc

If you do want to change the JS IR, you also need camlp4, note that the version does not need match the exact the same version of compiler.

so you need run commands below whenver you change the type definition of JS IR.

make js_map.ml js_fold.ml

Build the runtime

cd ./runtime; make all

Build the stdlib

cd ./stdlib; make all

Sub directories

stdlib

A copy of standard library from OCaml distribution(4.02) for fast development, so that we don't need bootstrap compiler, everytime we deliver a new feature.

• Files copied
  • sources
  • Makefile.shared Compflags .depend Makefile
• Patches Most in Makefile.shared

test

The directory containing unit-test files, some unit tests are copied from OCaml distribution(4.02)