prev/prev(1) is not correctly assigned to VARs

[MartinC45]

Description

Assigning .prev / .prev(1) to an OUT gives the expected result, but assigning it to a VAR doesn't. In the below example, the Verilog code has a being assigned to c directly instead of a_reg1. For higher orders, it works as expected, as shown by e.

Example

import dfhdl.*

class FirstDF() extends DFDesign:
    val a = Bit <> IN init 0
    val c = Bit <> VAR 
    val e = Bit <> VAR
    c := a.prev(1)
    e := a.prev(2)
    
    val d = Bit <> OUT init 0
    d := a.prev

@main def main = 
    FirstDF().compile

Output

module FirstDF(
  input wire logic clk,
  input wire logic rst,
  input wire logic a,
  output logic     d
);
  logic c;
  logic e;
  logic a_reg1;
  logic a_reg2;
  always @(*)
  begin
    e        = a_reg2;
    d        = a_reg1;
  end
  always @(posedge clk)
  begin
    if (rst == 1'b1) begin
      a_reg1 <= 1'b0;
      a_reg2 <= 1'b0;
      c      <= 1'b0;
    end
    else begin
      a_reg1 <= a;
      a_reg2 <= a_reg1;
      c      <= a;
    end
  end
endmodule

[MartinC45]

Technically, it is correct, as c assumes the value of a one cycle later. But c is in the clocked process, which is not the case for OUT or for higher orders and a bit unexpected.

[soronpo]

In dataflow you can only assume dependency and insertion order. There are no clocks in DF. Although this could suggest something unplanned is happening there due to the different behavior, but there is no descrepency with DF rules in this example alone.