befunjit is a just-in-time compiler for the befunge-93 language.
- Try the lazy runtime demo
- Try the eager runtime demo
Use it from the command line via:
node build/befunjit.node.js [--lazy] [--time] <source>
Stdin/stdout are used for IO.
befunjit executes programs in steps, called “jumps”. A naive befunge interpreter would move one cell at a time, while befunjit executes more instructions at a time (called “static paths”), making the program counter* (PC) effectively jump from one cell to another (typically distant one).
Every jump befunjit checks its cache of compiled static paths starting from the cell indicated by the PC.
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If a precompiled path is found then it gets executed. The compiler ceases control to the compiled code (which too can be thought of as a jump). Once the path is executed, control comes back to the compiler, the PC is updated to point to where the path ends and the process repeats - a new jump is ready to occur.
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If, however, a precompiled path is not found then the “static path compiler” is called. This seeks out the longest static path, compiles it, stores it and executes it as in the previous case.
A "static path" is simply the list of commands the PC encounters while running through the playfield up to
reaching an instruction which conditionally changes its direction (|, _ or ?) or detecting a cycle.
This visualizer shows what
static paths remained cached after the execution of a program (hover the small arrows).
One of the advantages of compiling paths over interpreting them is that some instructions don't generate any
code: ^<v>, #, " and whitespace. Even more, once isolated, a static path can be optimised using constant
folding for ex.
The reflective instruction p is the only thing that makes it very hard (if not impossible) to write an
ahead-of-time compiler for befunge. befunjit is a JIT compiler for that very reason: to allow handling of the
p command. When executed (from a compiled path), p alters the contents of the playfield and invalidates
any paths that pass through the affected cell. All these paths are eventually recompiled if and when the PC
gets to them. If the current executing path happens to be invalidated then it will continue executing only if
the affected cell comes before the current p instruction in the path. Otherwise, the compiled code ceases
control back to the compiler immediately which will in turn have to compile and execute the path starting from
the current PC.
- Note: the PC in the context of the befunjit runtime is composed of (line, colon and direction).