[cpp] member access can now be used on both: non-variable pointers (e…

…quivalent of -> in C). previously non-variables werent supported for member access at all. e.g `get_foo().id = 5` would fail to compile. in addition, variable pointers i.e `my_foo.id = 5` works in two scenarios: normal member access (. in C) and pointer access (-> in C but for a variable)

cpp/src/codegen.cpp

@@ -1032,11 +1032,30 @@ namespace code
 	value member_access(const data& d, ast::member_access payload)
 	{
 		value lhs_var = expression(d, *payload.lhs);
-		d.ctx.assert_that(lhs_var.ty.is_pointer(), error_code::type, "lhs of member access should be a variable that resolves to a pointer type. instead it resolved to \"{}\"", lhs_var.ty.name());
-		lhs_var.ty = lhs_var.ty.dereference();
+		type initial_ty = lhs_var.ty;
+		if(lhs_var.is_variable)
+		{
+			initial_ty = initial_ty.dereference();
+		}
+		// at this point, we expect the following:
+		// if its a variable, we expect either a struct* (member access) or a struct** (pointer access) as variable is a pointer (alloca) under-the-hood.
+		if(lhs_var.is_variable)
+		{
+			d.ctx.assert_that(lhs_var.ty.is_pointer(), error_code::ice, "somehow, lhs of member access is a variable thats not considered a pointer (alloca) under-the-hood. please submit a bug report.");
+			// lets convert it down to a struct* so the common code below works.
+			// if its a double pointer, we dereference it once (pointer access).
+			if(lhs_var.ty.dereference().is_pointer())
+			{
+				lhs_var = get_variable_val(lhs_var, d);
+			}
+			// else its a single pointer, we do nothing (member access)
+		}
+		else // if its not a variable, it must be a struct* (pointer access only. normal member access only makes sense with variables.)
+		{
+		}
+		d.ctx.assert_that(lhs_var.ty.is_pointer() && lhs_var.ty.dereference().is_struct(), error_code::type, "lhs of member access (non variable) *must* be a pointer-to-struct. instead you provided me with a \"{}\"", initial_ty.name());
 
-		d.ctx.assert_that(lhs_var.ty.is_struct(), error_code::type, "lhs identifier of member access is not a struct type, but instead a \"{}\"", lhs_var.ty.name());
-		struct_type struct_ty = lhs_var.ty.as_struct();
+		struct_type struct_ty = lhs_var.ty.dereference().as_struct();
 		// which data member are we?
 		// note: if we dont match to a data member here, then the code must be ill-formed.
 		std::optional<std::size_t> data_member_idx = std::nullopt;
@@ -1051,7 +1070,7 @@ namespace code
 		}
 		d.ctx.assert_that(data_member_idx.has_value(), error_code::codegen, "access to non-existent data member named \"{}\" within struct \"{}\"", payload.rhs, struct_ty.name);
 		// get the data member via GEP
-		llvm::Type* llvm_struct_ty = as_llvm_type(lhs_var.ty, d.state);
+		llvm::Type* llvm_struct_ty = as_llvm_type(type::from_struct(struct_ty), d.state);
 		llvm::Value* ret = builder->CreateStructGEP(llvm_struct_ty, lhs_var.llv, data_member_idx.value());
 		return
 		{

cpp/src/semal.cpp

@@ -705,7 +705,12 @@ namespace semal
 	type member_access(const data& d, const ast::member_access& payload)
 	{
 		type lhs_ty = expression(d, *payload.lhs);
-		d.assert_that(lhs_ty.is_struct(), std::format("detected use of member-access token `.`. the left-hand-side of the token must be a struct type, which \"{}\" is not.", lhs_ty.name()));
+		type initial_ty = lhs_ty;
+		if(lhs_ty.is_pointer())
+		{
+			lhs_ty = lhs_ty.dereference();
+		}
+		d.assert_that(lhs_ty.is_struct(), std::format("detected use of member-access token `.`. the left-hand-side of the token must be a struct or a pointer-to-struct type, which \"{}\" is not.", initial_ty.name()));
 		struct_type struct_ty = lhs_ty.as_struct();
 		for(std::size_t i = 0; i < struct_ty.data_members.size(); i++)
 		{

samples/scratchpad.psy

@@ -1,100 +1,35 @@
-putchar :: (ch : i8 weak) -> u0 := extern;
-print_digit :: (digit : i64 weak) -> u0
-{
-	// ascii 48 == '0'
-	putchar(48 + digit);
-}
-"yogi bear";"gaming";"straightming";
-'\t';
-
-is_odd :: (val : i64) -> bool
-{
-	mystr : i8& const := "well met";
-
-	half : i64 := (val / 2);	
-	low_half : i64 := ((val - 1) / 2);
-	return (half == low_half);
-}
-
-animal :: struct
-{
-	id : i64;
-}
-
-get_fox :: () -> animal
+puts :: (str : i8& const) -> u0 := extern;
+main :: () -> i64
 {
-	//ret : animal := animal
-	//{
-	//	.id := 2
-	//};
-	//ret : animal;
-	//ret.id = 5;
-	//return ret;
-
-	//return animal
-	//{
-	//	.id := 8
-	//};
-	ret : animal;
-	return ret;
+	puts("hello world!");	
+
+	mydata : data := data{.id := 0};
+	print_id(mydata);
+	mydata.id = 1;
+	print_id(mydata);
+
+	ptr : data& := ref mydata;
+	(deref ptr).id = 2;
+	print_id(mydata);
+	ptr.id = 3;
+	print_id(mydata);
+	return 0;
 }
 
-puts :: (str : i8& const) -> u0 := extern;
-print_hello :: () -> u0
+putchar :: (ch : i8) -> u0 := extern;
+print_id :: (in : data) -> u0
 {
-	buffer : i8& := __builtin_malloc(6 * (sizeof i8));
-	defer __builtin_free(buffer);
-
-	three : i64 const := 3;
-
-	// 97 = 'a'
-	// so n'th letter of alphabet = (97 + (n - 1))
-	buffer[0] = 'h';
-	buffer[1] = 'e';
-	buffer[2] = 'l';
-	buffer[three] = 'l';
-	buffer[4] = 'o';
-	buffer[5] = '\0';
-	puts(buffer);
-
-	literal : i8& const := "hello\tagain!";
-	puts(literal);
+	putchar('0' + (in.id@i8));
+	putchar('\n');
 }
 
-main :: () -> i64
+data :: struct
 {
-	print_hello();
-
-	putchar(10);
-	my_fox : animal := get_fox();
-	print_digit(my_fox.id);
-	putchar(10);
-	i : i64 weak := 0;
-	for i = 0, i != 10, i = (i + 1)
-	{
-		j : i64 const := i;
-		print_digit(i);
-		print_digit(j);
-	}
-	putchar(10);
-	print_digit(1);
-	print_digit(2);
-	print_digit(3);
-
-	if is_odd(23456)
-	{
-		print_digit(8);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		print_digit(9);
-	}
-	return 0;	
+	id : i64 := 0;
 }
 
 == default : build ==
 {
-	set_build_type(debug);
 	set_linkage_type(executable);
 	set_output_name("scratchpad");
 }