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Easy Compilation From TouchDevelop To ARM Cortex-M0 Using C++11 - Jonathan Protzenko - CppCon 2015

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24 views20 pages

Easy Compilation From TouchDevelop To ARM Cortex-M0 Using C++11 - Jonathan Protzenko - CppCon 2015

Uploaded by

alan88w
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Going from TouchDevelop to

Cortex-M0: the BBC micro:bit


And making sure $(CPP) does all the work!

J. Protzenko
Some background (1)

• BBC has a “Make it Digital” campaign this year


• Goal: distribute 1 million devices to kids (11/12-year olds)
• Variety of partners
• Microsoft (programming environment)
• ARM / Farnell (device)
• U. of Lancaster (C++ runtime system)
• Samsung (Android app)

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 2


A picture!

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 3


Some background (2)

• The goal: introduce the CS curriculum using a fun & simple device
• Support from Computer At School (CAS) association
• Goal: engage teachers, parents, kids

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 4


Client Computer
Web browser
TouchDevelop program USB
1

User codes TouchDevelop Drive


Compiler
TouchDevelop
1 C++
program and presses
“compile” button
3 User drags ARM binary
C++ program ARM binary to drive for Micro Bit

C++
Compiler
mbed C++ SDK
2
ARM 2 User accepts download
of ARM binary
mbed compile service
ARM binary
Azure
TouchDevelop-the-language

• Syntax-directed editor, JavaScript-inspired


• Statically type-checked
• Garbage-collected

• Closures (capture-by-value, à la JavaScript)


• Does not prevent uninitialized values (run-time errors)
• Everything happily mutually-recursive

• Primitive support for “libraries”


9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 6
Compiling to C++: a good idea?

• Option #1: write an interpreter on the device


• Option #2: run the byte-code compiler in the browser and run a byte-
code interpreter on the device
• Option #3: write our own compilation toolchain 😸

As often happens, constraints on time and engineering resources led us


into Option #4.

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 7


Types and variables (1)

TouchDevelop program Generated code


Number incr(Number x) {
return number::plus(x, 1);
}

typedef int Number;


typedef bool Boolean;
typedef ManagedString String;
typedef void (*Action)();
Hand-written glue

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 8


Types and variables (2)

• Generate human-readable, valid C++ identifiers


• Wrap everything in a namespace (to limit pollution)
• Fill out definitions for types (typedef) and functions

That’s the basic idea.

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 9


« Shimming »

• {shim:…} annotations: can be referenced,


but no implementation generated

void main() {
micro_bit::scrollString(
touch_develop::mk_string(
"I ♥ CppCon"), 150);
}

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 10


Memory management

• We went for ref-counting (why?)


• Now, advanced scenarios can create cycles (that’s too bad)
• Custom ref-counting class (why? why?!!)

memory leak on copy assign of an 'empty'


object created with the default constructor
so 'now' was being created with no value,
std::shared_ptr!
but had a reference counter. the subsequent
line assigned a value, and adopted a new
reference counter, but never freed the old
one.

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 11


Built-in library types

void main() {
Collection<Number> coll;
coll = create::collection_of<Number>();
collection::add(coll, 2015);
}

#if __cplusplus > 199711L


template <typename T> using Collection = ManagedType<vector<T>>;
namespace create {
template<typename T> Collection<T> collection_of() {
return ManagedType<vector<T>>(new vector<T>());
}
#endif

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 12


User-defined types (1)

namespace user_types {
struct list_;
typedef ManagedType<list_> list;
// …
// every other type definition in the current program
}

namespace user_types {
struct list_ {
Number data;
user_types::list next;
};
}

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 13


User-defined types (2)

Number length(user_types::list l) {
if (list::is_invalid(l)){
return 0;
} else {
return number::plus(
1,
length((l.get() != NULL ? l->next : (uBit.panic(…), l->next))));
}
}

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 14


Recursion hell
namespace user_types {
• Global compilation, every time struct list_;
typedef ManagedType<list_> list;
• Within a “library”; // more here…
}
• Functions are mutually recursive namespace my_library {
• Types are mutually recursive namespace user_types {
Number length(user_types::list l);
// more here…
• They can have the same name // more here…
}
}
• “Libraries” are not mutually recursive namespace my_library {
namespace user_types {
// more here…
• Each library is wrapped in a C++ namespace struct list_ {
}
// …
• Can reference types/functions from other libraries };
// more here…
Number length(user_types::list l) {
}
// …
namespace my_library {
}
namespace user_types {
// more here
// more here…
9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 } 15
}
Closures!

Implement
closure-
Better use conversion?
C++11! Oh noes!

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 16


Closures! (2)

Ref<Number> y;
y = create::ref_of<Number>();
ref::_set(y, 0);
auto _body_0_ = [=] () -> void {
micro_bit::scrollNumber(ref::_get(y), 150);
};
auto _body_0 =
new std::function<void ()>(_body_0_);
micro_bit::onButtonPressed(
MICROBIT_ID_BUTTON_B, _body_0);
ref::_set(y, 1);

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 17


Closures (3)

• Closures that do not capture anything are lifted


• Closures that do capture currently not implemented due to bad
semantics

• The “ARMCC” killer. (GCC it is, now – just 300k wasted SRAM.)

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 18


Looking forward

• C++: as usual, a high-level language for low-level targets


• Generic translation; repurpose for Arduino, for instance?
• Extensible: uses Yotta (a.k.a. “node.js for hardware”)
• Hardware projects: displays, connectors, Bluetooth Low Energy

9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 19


Looking forward (2)

• We launched the website; board delayed (unsurprisingly)


• Hardware targets: TouchDevelop’s raison d’être?
• Hip and chic: IOT

Thanks!
9/21/2015 J. Protzenko: Compiling TouchDevelop to C++11 / CppCon’15 20

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