cljrs-compiler

Program analysis, optimization, and AOT compilation for clojurust. Provides an intermediate representation (IR) in A-normal form with SSA, escape analysis, Cranelift-based native code generation, and a C-ABI runtime bridge.

ANF lowering and escape analysis are written in Clojure (cljrs.compiler.anf, cljrs.compiler.escape), producing IR as plain data maps. A thin Rust conversion layer (ir_convert.rs) translates these back to the IrFunction structs that the Cranelift codegen backend consumes.

Phase: 8.1 (optimization) + 11 (AOT compilation) + no-gc phases 6–7 — end-to-end AOT working for multi-file programs with variadic functions, protocols, escape analysis optimization, apply, core HOFs, sequence/collection ops, type predicates, atom constructor, and inline expansions. Under the no-gc feature the AOT driver also runs the blacklist analysis (escape.rs) which rejects programs that cannot be safely compiled without a GC.

File layout

src/
  lib.rs        — module declarations, embedded Clojure sources, register_compiler_sources()
  ir.rs         — re-exports all types from cljrs-ir crate
  ir_convert.rs — Value → IrFunction conversion (Clojure data → Rust IR types)
  rt_abi.rs     — C-ABI runtime bridge: ~40 extern "C" functions called by compiled code
  codegen.rs    — Cranelift code generator: IrFunction → native object code
  aot.rs        — AOT driver: source → parse → expand → lower → codegen → cargo build → binary
  escape.rs     — (no-gc only) blacklist analysis: 4 checks that reject no-gc–unsafe IR patterns
  clojure/compiler/
    ir.cljrs      — IR data constructors + mutable builder context (atom-based)
    known.cljrs   — Known function symbol → keyword resolution table
    anf.cljrs     — ANF lowering (Clojure): Form values → IR data maps
    escape.cljrs  — Escape analysis (Clojure): operates on plain IR data
    optimize.cljrs — Optimization passes (Clojure): escape analysis → region allocation rewriting

Public API

IR types (ir.rs)

pub struct IrFunction { name, params, blocks, ... }
pub struct Block { id, phis, insts, terminator }
pub enum Inst { Const, LoadLocal, LoadGlobal, AllocVector, AllocMap, AllocSet, AllocList, AllocCons, AllocClosure, CallKnown, Call, Deref, DefVar, SetBang, Throw, Phi, Recur, SourceLoc, RegionStart, RegionAlloc, RegionEnd }
pub enum RegionAllocKind { Vector, Map, Set, List, Cons }
pub enum Terminator { Jump, Branch, Return, RecurJump, Unreachable }
pub enum KnownFn { Vector, HashMap, Assoc, Conj, Get, Count, Add, Sub, Apply, Reduce2, Map, Filter, Mapv, Range1, Take, Drop, Concat, Sort, Keys, Vals, Merge, Update, Atom, ... }
pub enum Effect { Pure, Alloc, HeapRead, HeapWrite, IO, UnknownCall }

IR conversion (ir_convert.rs)

pub fn value_to_ir_function(val: &Value) -> ConvertResult<IrFunction>;
pub fn keyword_to_known_fn(kw: &str) -> Option<KnownFn>;

Converts Clojure data maps (produced by the Clojure front-end) back to Rust IR types.

Compiler source registration (lib.rs)

pub fn register_compiler_sources(globals: &Arc<GlobalEnv>);

Registers embedded Clojure compiler namespaces as builtin sources so require can load them.

Runtime bridge (rt_abi.rs)

All functions are #[unsafe(no_mangle)] pub extern "C" — called by symbol name from compiled code.

• Constants: rt_const_nil, rt_const_true, rt_const_false, rt_const_long(i64), rt_const_double(f64), rt_const_char(u32), rt_const_string(ptr, len), rt_const_keyword(ptr, len), rt_const_symbol(ptr, len)
• Truthiness: rt_truthiness(v) -> u8
• Arithmetic: rt_add, rt_sub, rt_mul, rt_div, rt_rem
• Comparison: rt_eq, rt_lt, rt_gt, rt_lte, rt_gte
• Collections: rt_alloc_vector, rt_alloc_map, rt_alloc_set, rt_alloc_list, rt_alloc_cons, rt_get, rt_count, rt_first, rt_rest, rt_assoc, rt_conj
• Region alloc: rt_region_start, rt_region_end, rt_region_alloc_vector, rt_region_alloc_map, rt_region_alloc_set, rt_region_alloc_list, rt_region_alloc_cons
• Dispatch: rt_call(callee, args, nargs), rt_deref(v), rt_load_global(ns, ns_len, name, name_len)
• Output: rt_println(v), rt_pr(v), rt_str(v)
• Type checks: rt_is_nil, rt_is_vector, rt_is_map, rt_is_seq, rt_identical
• Linker anchor: anchor_rt_symbols() — call from harness to prevent dead-code elimination

Cranelift codegen (codegen.rs)

pub struct Compiler { ... }
impl Compiler {
    pub fn new() -> CodegenResult<Self>;
    pub fn declare_function(&mut self, name: &str, param_count: usize) -> CodegenResult<FuncId>;
    pub fn compile_function(&mut self, ir_func: &IrFunction, func_id: FuncId) -> CodegenResult<()>;
    pub fn finish(self) -> Vec<u8>;
}

AOT driver (aot.rs)

pub fn compile_file(src_path: &Path, out_path: &Path, src_dirs: &[PathBuf]) -> AotResult<()>;
pub fn lower_via_clojure(name: Option<&str>, ns: &str, params: &[Arc<str>], forms: &[Form], env: &mut Env) -> AotResult<IrFunction>;

pub enum AotError { Io, Parse, Codegen, Eval, Link, NoGcBlacklist(Vec<BlacklistViolation>) /* no-gc only */ }

Pipeline: read source → parse → evaluate preamble → macro-expand → discover required namespaces → ANF lower (Clojure) → optimize (escape analysis + region alloc) → IR convert → [no-gc] blacklist check → Cranelift codegen → generate Cargo harness → cargo build --release → copy binary.

No-GC blacklist (escape.rs, no-gc only)

pub enum BlacklistViolation { InteriorPointerReturn { .. }, RegionToStaticStore { .. }, LazySeqEscape { .. }, EscapingClosure { .. } }
pub fn check(func: &IrFunction) -> Vec<BlacklistViolation>;
pub fn check_function(func: &IrFunction) -> Vec<BlacklistViolation>;

Detects four classes of no-gc memory-safety violations in IR functions:

1. InteriorPointerReturn — return var is (transitively via phi) an allocation from the function's scratch region.
2. RegionToStaticStore — allocation result flows into DefVar / SetBang without the static context.
3. LazySeqEscape — lazy-producing call result is bound as an intermediate and returned unrealized.
4. EscapingClosure — AllocClosure stored in a static container.

Multi-file support: when the source file uses (ns ... (:require [...])), the required namespaces are loaded during compilation. Their source files are discovered from src_dirs, bundled into the harness as builtin sources, and made available at runtime so the binary is self-contained.

Clojure front-end namespaces

cljrs.compiler.ir

Mutable builder context (atom-based) for constructing IR data maps. Provides constructors for all instruction/terminator types and scope management.

cljrs.compiler.known

Maps symbol names (e.g. "+", "assoc", "println") to IR keyword tags (e.g. :+, :assoc, :println).

cljrs.compiler.anf

ANF lowering: converts Clojure form values (from form_to_value) into IR data maps. Supports the same special forms as the Rust front-end.

cljrs.compiler.escape

Escape analysis on IR data maps. Determines allocation escape states and detects collection operation chains.

cljrs.compiler.optimize

Optimization passes on IR data maps. Currently implements region allocation: rewrites non-escaping allocations (identified by escape analysis) into region-start/region-alloc/region-end instructions. Recursively optimizes subfunctions.

Dependencies