Revive External Core typechecker

[ghc-hetmet.git] / utils / ext-core / README

diff --git a/utils/ext-core/README b/utils/ext-core/README
index 0f6c16b..9afd388 100644 (file)
--- a/utils/ext-core/README
+++ b/utils/ext-core/README
@@ -3,13 +3,44 @@ A set of example programs for handling external core format.
 In particular, typechecker and interpreter give a precise semantics.
 
 To build, run "make".
 In particular, typechecker and interpreter give a precise semantics.
 
 To build, run "make".

+---------------------
+tjc April 2008:
+
+==== Notes ====
+
+The checker should work on most programs. Bugs I'm aware of:
+1. GHC generates some questionable coercion applications involving
+   partially-applied function arrows (for details, see:
+   http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/cvs-ghc/2008-April/041949.html)
+   This shows up when typechecking a few of the library modules.
+
+2. There's some weirdness involving funny character literals. This can
+   be fixed by writing a new lexer for chars rather than using Parsec's
+   built-in charLiteral lexer. But I haven't done that.
+
+Typechecking all the GHC libraries eats about a gig of heap and takes a
+long time. I blame Parsec. (Someone who was bored, or understood happy
+better than I do, could update the old happy parser, which is still in the
+repo.)
+
+The interpreter is not working yet.
+
+==== Building ====
+
+To run the checker and interpreter, you need to generate External Core
+for all the base, integer and ghc-prim libraries. This can be done by
+adding "-fext-core" to the GhcLibHcOpts in your build.mk file, then
+running "make" under libraries/.

 
 

-To run the checker and interpreter (which currently aren't working anyway),
-you need to generate External Core for all the base, integer and ghc-prim
-libraries. This can be done by adding "-fext-core" to the GhcLibHcOpts in
-your build.mk file, then running "make" under libraries/.

 Then you need to edit Driver.hs and change "baseDir" to point to your GHC
 libraries directory.
 
 Then you need to edit Driver.hs and change "baseDir" to point to your GHC
 libraries directory.
 

-Most recently tested with GHC 6.8.2. I make no claims of portability. --tjc
+Once you've done that:
+1. make prims (to generate the primops file)
+2. make
+3. make nofibtest (to run the parser/checker on all nofib programs...
+   for example.)
+
+Tested with GHC 6.8.2. I make no claims of portability.
+