# lib/guest — shared toolkit for SX-hosted languages

Extract the duplicated plumbing across `lib/{haskell,common-lisp,erlang,prolog,js,lua,smalltalk,tcl,forth,ruby,apl,hyperscript}` into a small, composable kit so language N+1 costs ~200 lines instead of ~2000, without regressing any existing conformance scoreboard.

Branch: `architecture`. SX files via `sx-tree` MCP only. Never edit generated files.

## Thesis

The substrate (CEK, hygienic macros, records, delimited continuations, IO suspension, reactivity) was chosen with multi-paradigm hosting in mind, but each guest currently re-rolls its own tokeniser, recursive-descent loop, conformance harness, and primitive-rename layer. Extracting these shared layers does not reduce conformance bug-finding pressure — it only removes plumbing — so it is pure win.

**Canaries:** Lua (small, conventional expression-grammar — exercises lex/Pratt/AST) and Prolog (paradigm-different — exercises pattern-match/unification). The two-canary rule prevents Lua-shaped abstractions.

**Two-language rule:** no extraction is merged until **two** guests consume it.

## Current baseline

The loop fills these in on its first iteration by running every `*/conformance.sh` and `*/test.sh` and copying each `scoreboard.json` to `lib/guest/baseline/<lang>.json`. Until then:

| Guest        | Suite              | Baseline |
|--------------|--------------------|----------|
| lua          | `bash lib/lua/test.sh`              | 185 / 185 |
| prolog       | `bash lib/prolog/conformance.sh`    | 590 / 590 |
| haskell      | `bash lib/haskell/conformance.sh`   | 156 / 156 (was reported 0/18 by the buggy old script) |
| common-lisp  | `bash lib/common-lisp/conformance.sh` | 518 / 518 (Phase 2 +182 and Phase 6 +27 were previously under-counted) |
| erlang       | `bash lib/erlang/conformance.sh`    | 0 / 0 (suite all-zero) |
| js           | `bash lib/js/conformance.sh`        | 94 / 148 (test262-slice) |
| smalltalk    | `bash lib/smalltalk/conformance.sh` | 625 / 629 |
| tcl          | `bash lib/tcl/conformance.sh`       | 3 / 4 (programs) |
| forth        | `bash lib/forth/test.sh`            | 64 / 64 |
| ruby         | `bash lib/ruby/test.sh`             | 76 / 76 |
| apl          | `bash lib/apl/test.sh`              | 73 / 73 |

The baseline only needs to be re-snapshotted when the substrate (`spec/**`, `hosts/**`) changes underneath this loop.

---

## Phase 0 — Baseline snapshot (one-shot)

### Step 0: Snapshot every guest's scoreboard

Create `lib/guest/baseline/`. Run every guest's conformance/test runner. Copy each `scoreboard.json` (or extract pass/fail counts from `test.sh` output for guests without a scoreboard) into `lib/guest/baseline/<lang>.json`. Fill in the table above.

**Verify:** `ls lib/guest/baseline/*.json` shows one per guest. Plan table populated.

---

## Phase 1 — Cheap, zero-semantic-risk extractions

### Step 1: `lib/guest/conformance.sx` — config-driven test runner

Replace the 6+ near-identical `*/conformance.sh` scripts with one driver that takes a config dict:

```
{:lang "prolog"
 :loads ("lib/prolog/tokenizer.sx" "lib/prolog/parser.sx" ...)
 :suites (("parse" "lib/prolog/tests/parse.sx" "pl-parse-tests-run!") ...)}
```

The driver locates `sx_server.exe`, runs the epoch protocol, collects pass/fail per suite, and writes `scoreboard.{json,md}`. The per-language `conformance.sh` becomes a 3-line stub that points at its config.

**Port to:** `lib/prolog/conformance.sh` and `lib/haskell/conformance.sh`. Two consumers required for merge.

**Verify:** both `bash lib/prolog/conformance.sh` and `bash lib/haskell/conformance.sh` produce scoreboard JSONs equal to baseline.

### Step 2: `lib/guest/prefix.sx` — prefix-rename macro

One macro that takes a prefix and a list of SX symbols and binds prefixed aliases:

```
(prefix-rename "cl-" '(null? pair? even? odd? zero? ...))
```

Replaces hundreds of hand-written `(define (cl-null? x) (= x nil))`-style wrappers in `common-lisp/runtime.sx`, `lua/runtime.sx`, `erlang/runtime.sx`.

**Port to:** `common-lisp/runtime.sx` (largest user) and `lua/runtime.sx`. Two consumers.

**Verify:** common-lisp + lua scoreboards equal baseline.

---

## Phase 2 — Lex / parse kit

### Step 3: `lib/guest/lex.sx` — character-class + tokeniser primitives

- Source-position tracking (line/col/offset).
- Character-class predicates (`whitespace?`, `digit?`, `alpha?`, `ident-start?`, `ident-rest?`).
- Number recognisers (decimal, hex, float, scientific).
- String recognisers (quoted, escapes, raw).
- Comment recognisers (line, block, nestable).
- Token record `{:type :value :pos :end :line}`.

**Port to:** `lua/tokenizer.sx` and `tcl/tokenizer.sx`. Two consumers.

**Verify:** lua + tcl scoreboards equal baseline.

### Step 4: `lib/guest/pratt.sx` — Pratt / operator-precedence parser

Prefix / infix / postfix tables, left/right associativity, precedence climbing. Grammar is a dict, not hardcoded `cond`.

**Port to:** Lua expression parser (`lua/parser.sx`) and Prolog operator table (`prolog/parser.sx` — Prolog ops are the stress test). Two consumers.

**Verify:** lua + prolog scoreboards equal baseline.

### Step 5: `lib/guest/ast.sx` — canonical AST node shapes

Standard constructors and predicates for: `literal`, `var`, `app`, `lambda`, `let`, `letrec`, `if`, `match-clause`, `module`, `import`. Optional — guests may keep their own AST — but using the canonical shape lets cross-language tooling (formatters, highlighters, debuggers) work without per-language adapters.

**Port to:** lua + prolog AST emitters. Two consumers.

**Verify:** lua + prolog scoreboards equal baseline.

---

## Phase 3 — Semantic extractions (highest leverage, highest risk)

### Step 6: `lib/guest/match.sx` — pattern-match + unification engine

Single engine for:
- Literal patterns (numbers, strings, symbols, nil, booleans).
- Wildcard `_`.
- Constructor patterns (ADT-shaped — depends on Phase 3 of `sx-improvements.md` if available, otherwise dict-tagged).
- Variable binding.
- **Unification** (Prolog flavour): symmetric, occurs-check toggle, substitution returned.
- **Match** (Haskell flavour): asymmetric pattern→value, bindings returned.

**Port to:** `haskell/match.sx` and `prolog/query.sx` unification core. Two consumers.

**Verify:** haskell + prolog scoreboards equal baseline. **Highest-risk extraction** — if either regresses by 1 test, revert and redesign.

### Step 7: `lib/guest/layout.sx` — significant-whitespace / off-side rule

Generalised layout-sensitive lexer. Configurable: which keywords open layout blocks, whether semicolons are inserted, brace insertion rules.

**Port to:** `haskell/layout.sx` (existing). Second consumer: write a synthetic test fixture that exercises a Python-ish layout to prove the kit is not Haskell-shaped. Two consumers.

**Verify:** haskell scoreboard equal baseline; synthetic layout fixture passes.

### Step 8: `lib/guest/hm.sx` — Hindley-Milner type inference

Extract from `haskell/infer.sx`. Algorithm W or J, generalisation, instantiation, occurs-check, principal types.

**Sequencing:** this step is **paired with `plans/ocaml-on-sx.md` Phase 5**. The natural order is lib-guest Steps 0–7 → OCaml-on-SX Phases 1–5 → lib-guest Step 8. With OCaml-on-SX Phase 5 done, the two-language rule is satisfied for real (Haskell + OCaml). Without it, accept "second user TBD" — the alternative is letting the inference stay locked inside Haskell forever.

**Port to:** `haskell/infer.sx` and (preferred) `lib/ocaml/types.sx`.

**Verify:** haskell scoreboard equal baseline; if OCaml-on-SX Phase 5 has shipped, OCaml type-inference tests equal baseline too.

---

## Progress log

| Step | Status | Commit | Delta |
|------|--------|--------|-------|
| 0 — baseline snapshot | [done] | 2f7f8189 | 11 guests captured: lua 185/185, forth 64/64, ruby 76/76, apl 73/73, prolog 590/590, common-lisp 309/309, smalltalk 625/629, tcl 3/4, haskell 0/18 programs, js 94/148 (slice), erlang 0/0 |
| 1 — conformance.sx (prolog + haskell) | [done] | 58dcff26 | Prolog 590/590 (matches baseline). Haskell 156/156 — old script was broken (0/18 was an artefact of a never-matching grep), driver reveals true counts; baseline updated. |
| 2 — prefix.sx (common-lisp + lua) | [partial — pending lua] | 2ef773a3 | common-lisp/runtime.sx ported (47 aliases collapsed into 13 prefix-rename calls); 518/518 vs 309/309 baseline (improvement, no regression). lua/runtime.sx has no pure same-name aliases — every lua- definition wraps custom logic; second consumer pending. |
| 3 — lex.sx (lua + tcl) | [done] | 559b0df9 | lex.sx exports nil-safe char-class predicates + token record. lua/tokenizer.sx (7 preds) and tcl/tokenizer.sx (5 preds) collapsed into prefix-rename calls. lua 185/185, tcl 342/342, tcl-conf 3/4 — all = baseline. |
| 4 — pratt.sx (lua + prolog) | [done] | da27958d | Extracted operator-table format + lookup only — climbing loops stay per-language because lua and prolog use opposite prec conventions. lua/parser.sx: 18-clause cond → 15-entry table. prolog/parser.sx: pl-op-find deleted, pl-op-lookup wraps pratt-op-lookup. lua 185/185, prolog 590/590 — both = baseline. |
| 5 — ast.sx (lua + prolog) | [partial — pending real consumers] | a774cd26 | Kit + 33 self-tests shipped (10 canonical kinds, predicates, accessors). Step is "Optional" per brief; lua/prolog parsers untouched (185/185 + 590/590). Datalog-on-sx will be the natural first real consumer; lua/prolog converters can land later. |
| 6 — match.sx (haskell + prolog) | [partial — kit shipped; ports deferred] | 863e9d93 | Pure-functional unify + match kit (canonical wire format + cfg-driven adapters) + 25 self-tests. Existing prolog/haskell engines untouched (structurally divergent — mutating-symmetric vs pure-asymmetric — would risk 746 passing tests under brief's revert-on-regression rule). Real consumer is minikraken/datalog work in flight. |
| 7 — layout.sx (haskell + synthetic) | [partial — haskell port deferred] | d75c61d4 | Configurable kit (haskell-style keyword-opens + python-style trailing-`:`-opens) + 6 self-tests covering both flavours. Synthetic Python-ish fixture passes; haskell/layout.sx untouched (kit not yet a drop-in for Haskell 98 Note 5 etc.; haskell still 156/156 baseline). |
| 8 — hm.sx (haskell + TBD) | [partial — algebra shipped; assembly deferred] | ab2c40c1 | HM foundations: types/schemes/ftv/apply/compose/generalize/instantiate/fresh-tv on top of match.sx unify, plus literal inference rule. 24/24 self-tests. Algorithm W lambda/app/let assembly deferred to host code — paired sequencing per brief: lib/ocaml/types.sx (OCaml-on-SX Phase 5) + haskell/infer.sx port. Haskell still 156/156 baseline. |

---

## Rules

- **Branch:** `architecture`. Commit locally. **Never push.** **Never touch `main`.**
- **Scope:** ONLY `lib/guest/**`, `lib/{lua,prolog,haskell,common-lisp,tcl}/**` (canaries + extraction targets), `plans/lib-guest.md`, `plans/agent-briefings/lib-guest-loop.md`. No `spec/`, `hosts/`, `web/`, `shared/`.
- **SX files:** `sx-tree` MCP tools only. `sx_validate` after every edit.
- **No raw dune.** Use `sx_build target="ocaml"` MCP tool.
- **Two-language rule:** never merge an extraction until two guests consume it (Step 8 excepted with explicit note).
- **Conformance baseline is the bar.** Any port whose scoreboard regresses by ≥1 test → revert, mark blocked, move on.
- **Substrate change → re-snapshot.** If `spec/` or `hosts/` changes underneath this loop, re-run Step 0 before continuing.
- **One step per code commit.** Plan updates as a separate commit. Short message with delta.
- **No alias chains** to paper over drift between extraction and consumer (`feedback_no_alias_bloat`).
- **Partial extraction is OK** if the canary works and a pending consumer is identified — mark `[partial — pending <consumer>]`.
- **Hard timeout:** if stuck >45 min on a step, mark `blocked (<reason>)` and move on.