[pypy-dev] Object model

[logistix]

VanL <vlindberg at verio.net> wrote: 

> I think you are envisioning a model interpreter that works (more or 
> less) like the CPU works in a computer.  
> 
>  CPUs, especially RISCy ones, usually work with essentially three things:
> 
> 1. Operators (like iadd, fadd, imul, fdiv, or, xor, etc)
> 2. Registers
> 3. Immediate values
> 

> 
> It also might suggest a bootstrapping procedure:  
> 
> 1. Start with the bytecode, rather than the compiler.  Treat the byte 
> code as "machine code" that we execute and CPython as the compiler.

A lot of the stuff he's talking about here is based on the existing
Python Interpreter.  It runs stack-based bytecode, where the stack
simply contains pointers to PyObjects.  It's also a little wierd
because it turns functions and stuff into code objects that get thrown
on the stack instead of trying to represent everything as a monolithic
block of memory where you would JSR to a memory address to call a
function.  Then these code objects can have their own embedded code
objects.

Since you seem to have a good low-level understanding of things,
checking out the documentation for the 'dis' module will show you all
the existing "assembly" instructions.

ceval.c has the actual implementation of the interpreter loop.