ref: 76f5318cbd58fbe2bfc8cb51856bfa217c673bb7
dir: /man/2/0intro/
.TH INTRO 2
.SH NAME
intro \- introduction to Limbo modules for the Inferno system
.SH SYNOPSIS
.EX
include "sys.m";
sys := load Sys Sys->PATH;
include "draw.m";
draw := load Draw Draw->PATH;
include "tk.m";
tk := load Tk Tk->PATH;
.I "... etc."
.I "Generically:"
.EE
.EX
include "\fImodule\fP.m";
.EE
.fi
.IB module " := "
.BI load " Module"
.IB Module ->PATH;
.SH DESCRIPTION
This section introduces the Limbo modules available to the programmer;
see the corresponding manual pages for more information.
Each module is declared with a single Limbo
.B include
file.
Before calling a module's functions, an application must
.B load
the module; the application stores the resulting value in a variable for later use as
the module qualifier.
The examples above illustrate the style.
It will usually be necessary in some cases to qualify names with the appropriate
module pointer or to
.B import
the types and functions; the manual pages assume the names are accessible
in the current scope.
.PP
Although many modules are self-contained,
dependencies may exist.
For example, the system module,
.BR Sys ,
provides basic services that many other modules require.
These are the Inferno equivalent to `system calls'.
.PP
In a few cases, several related modules
share a single
.B include
file;
for instance,
.BR security.m .
.PP
The manual pages describe how to
.B include
a module definition during
compilation and
.B load
an implementation during execution.
The documentation also lists relevant functions or abstract
data types.
Although the
.B include
files declare these components, the manual pages list them explicitly.
In all cases, the enclosing
.B module
declaration is assumed so that unqualified identifiers can be
used in the text without ambiguity, reducing clutter in the text.
In practice when programming, many consider it good style to
use an explicit module reference for functions and constants.
.PP
The Limbo modules are identical on any machine that is running Inferno,
whether native or hosted, which enables Limbo programs to be written
and tested on any Inferno system.
.PP
Many modules are described in a single page, such as
.IR regex (2).
Several larger modules are explained in several sections, such as
.IR math-intro (2),
.IR math-elem (2),
.IR math-fp (2),
and
.IR math-linalg (2).
.SS Exceptions
Exception handling is now part of the Limbo language, replacing an older
scheme that used special system calls.
Various exceptions can be raised by the virtual machine when run-time errors
are detected.
These are the common ones:
.RS
.TP
.B "alt send/recv on same chan"
It is currently illegal for a channel to appear in two
.B alt
statements if they either both receive or both send on it.
(It is fine to send in one and receive in the other.)
.TP
.B "array bounds error"
Array subscript out of bounds.
.TP
.B "dereference of nil"
Attempt to use a
.B "ref"
adt or index an array with value
.B "nil" .
.TP
.B "invalid math argument"
Inconsistent values provided to functions of
.IR math-intro (2).
.TP
.B "module not loaded"
Attempt to use an uninitialised module variable.
.TP
.B "negative array size"
The limit in an array constructor was negative.
.TP
.BI "out of memory:" " pool"
The given memory
.I pool
is exhausted.
.I Pool
is currently one of
.B main
(kernel memory including Tk allocations),
.B heap
(most Limbo data),
and
.B image
memory for
.IR draw (3).
.TP
.B "zero divide"
Integer division (or mod) by zero.
.RE
.PP
There are currently two more classes of exception string with a conventional interpretation
imposed not by the run-time system proper, but by Limbo components:
.RS
.TP
.BI "fail:" "reason"
Commands use this exception to provide an `exit status' to a calling program,
particularly the shell
.IR sh (1);
see also
.IR sh (2).
The status is given by the
.I reason
following the
.RB ` fail: '
prefix.
.TP
.BI "assertion:" "error"
A module detected the specified internal
.IR error .
This is most often used for cases where a particular possibility ``cannot happen''
and there is no other need for an error value in the interface.
.RE
.PP
Otherwise, most module interfaces tend to use explicit error return values, not exceptions.
.PP
Note that a Limbo exception handler can do pattern matching to catch a class of exceptions:
.IP
.EX
{
\f2body of code to protect\fP
} exception e {
"out of memory:*" =>
\f2recovery action\fP
"assertion:*" =>
fatal_error(e);
}
.EE
.PP
The effect of an unhandled exception in a process that is part of an error-recovery group
can be controlled using the mechanisms described in
.IR prog (3)
as accessed using
.IR exception (2).
.SH SEE ALSO
.IR draw-intro (2),
.IR exception (2),
.IR keyring-intro (2),
.IR math-intro (2),
.IR prefab-intro (2),
.IR security-intro (2),
.IR sys-intro (2)