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Instruction Set

Below is the complete set of bytecode instructions supported by the CrossBasic VM, organized by category for visual clarity.

📥 Constants & Stack Manipulation

  • 🧮 OP_CONSTANT Pushes a constant (from the function’s constant pool) onto the stack.
  • 🗑️ OP_POP Removes the top value from the stack.
  • 📋 OP_DUP Duplicates the top value on the stack.

➕➖ Arithmetic Operations

  • ➕ OP_ADD Pops two values; adds numbers or concatenates strings; pushes the result.
  • ➖ OP_SUB Pops two values; subtracts; pushes the result.
  • ✖️ OP_MUL Pops two values; multiplies; pushes the result.
  • ➗ OP_DIV Pops two values; divides; pushes the result.
  • ➰ OP_NEGATE Pops one numeric value; negates it; pushes the result.
  • 🚀 OP_POW Pops two values; computes a^b; pushes the result.
  • 💠 OP_MOD Pops two values; computes modulus (or fmod for floats); pushes the result.

🔍 Comparisons

  • 🔽 OP_LT Pops two values; pushes true if a < b, else false.
  • 🔽✅ OP_LE Pops two values; pushes true if a ≤ b, else false.
  • 🔼 OP_GT Pops two values; pushes true if a > b, else false.
  • 🔼✅ OP_GE Pops two values; pushes true if a ≥ b, else false.
  • 🆚 OP_EQ Pops two values; tests equality (numbers, strings, colors, pointers, instances); pushes result.
  • ❌ OP_NE Pops two values; tests inequality; pushes result.

🔄 Logical

  • 🔧 OP_AND Pops two values; logical AND (truthiness); pushes result.
  • 🔨 OP_OR Pops two values; logical OR; pushes result.

🖨️ I/O

  • 🖨️ OP_PRINT Pops one value; converts to string; writes to stdout.

🌐 Globals & Variables

  • 🌍 OP_DEFINE_GLOBAL Pops a value; defines a new global variable with the given name.
  • 🎯 OP_GET_GLOBAL Pushes the value of a global variable (or built-in like ticks, microseconds).
  • 📝 OP_SET_GLOBAL Pops a value; assigns it to an existing global variable.

📞 Function & Method Calls

  • 🏃 OP_CALL Pops callee and N arguments; invokes functions, methods, array indexing, or built-ins.
  • 🤏 OP_OPTIONAL_CALL Like OP_CALL, but if callee is nil it skips the call (used for optional constructor calls).
  • 🔚 OP_RETURN Pops a return value; unwinds the current function frame, returning that value to the caller.

🚦 Control Flow

  • ⬜ OP_NIL Pushes a nil (empty) value onto the stack.
  • 🙈 OP_JUMP_IF_FALSE Pops a condition; if false, sets the instruction pointer to the given offset.
  • 🚧 OP_JUMP Unconditionally jumps to the given offset.

🏛️ Classes & Objects

  • 🏷️ OP_CLASS Creates a new, empty class object and pushes it.
  • 🛠️ OP_METHOD Pops a function and a class; installs the function as a method on that class.
  • 🏗️ OP_PROPERTIES Pops a property map and a class; assigns the properties to the class.
  • 🆕 OP_NEW Pops a class; allocates and initializes a new instance (handles both scripted and plugin classes).
  • 🎬 OP_CONSTRUCTOR_END After an OP_OPTIONAL_CALL to a constructor, picks either the new instance or the constructor’s return value.

📦 Arrays & Properties

  • 📦 OP_ARRAY Pops N values; creates an array literal from them; pushes the new array instance.
  • 🔍 OP_GET_PROPERTY Pops an object; retrieves a field, method (as a bound method), or enum member; pushes it.
  • 🖋️ OP_SET_PROPERTY Pops an object and a value; sets the property or invokes a plugin setter; pushes the object back.

✨ That’s the full CrossBasic VM instruction set