Compiled code could silently move dsp/rsp/fsp out of their stack
regions (e.g. DROP on an empty stack), corrupting later pushes with
no diagnostic -- the addresses stay inside valid linear memory, so
nothing could trap. Host-side checks cannot catch it.
- Guards are emitted at the sp-adjustment choke points (dsp_inc/
dsp_dec, fsp_inc/fsp_dec, rpush/rpop/rpeek, peek, TwoDup/TwoDrop,
promoted prologue/epilogue -- DROP never loads its value, so
guarding pop() alone is not enough). On fault: write the code to
SYSVAR_FAULT_CODE, call _STACK_FAULT_, which THROWs it -- so
guards are CATCHable and print standard messages (-3/-4/-5/-6/
-44/-45).
- The batch/consolidated compile path (all boot primitives) and the
export path are wired too; a thread-local carries the fault index
into the shared emission helpers.
- Config: codegen.stack_guards, default ON. `wafer build` output
defaults OFF (production artifact); WAFER_STACK_GUARDS=0|1
overrides either. Perf comparison lanes run unguarded.
- Measured overhead in release loops: within noise (never-taken
branches).
- toolstest.fth baseline 37 -> 38: line 368's bare interpreted `R>`
used to underflow silently and count as passing; the guard now
correctly reports -6.
Stack-to-local promotion (Phase 1: straight-line code):
- Words with no control flow/calls use WASM locals instead of memory stack
- Stack manipulation (Swap, Rot, Nip, Tuck, Dup, Drop) emits ZERO instructions
- ~7x instruction reduction for arithmetic-heavy words like DUP *
- Pre-loads consumed items from memory, writes results back at exit
Consolidation recompiler (CONSOLIDATE word):
- Recompiles all IR-based words into single WASM module
- Direct call instructions instead of call_indirect through function table
- Cranelift can inline and optimize across word boundaries
- All control flow variants support consolidated calls
342 unit tests + 11 compliance, all passing.
Optimizing Forth 2012 compiler targeting WebAssembly with IR-based
compilation pipeline, multi-typed stack inference, subroutine threading,
and JIT/consolidation modes. Rust kernel with ~35 primitives and Forth
standard library for core/core-ext word sets.
Oleksandr Kozachuk
ok2