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doc/semantic_analysis.md
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-# How Semantic Analysis Works
-
-We start with a set of files. Typically the user only has one entry point file,
-which imports the other files they want to use. However, the compiler may
-choose to add more files to the compilation, for example bootstrap.zig which
-contains the code that calls main.
-
-Our goal now is to treat everything that is marked with the `export` keyword
-as a root node, and then parse and semantically analyze as little as possible
-in order to fulfill these exports.
-
-So, some parts of the code very well may have uncaught semantic errors, but as
-long as the code is not referenced in any way, the compiler will not complain
-because the code may as well not exist. This is similar to the fact that code
-excluded from compilation with an `#ifdef` in C is not analyzed. Avoiding
-analyzing unused code will save compilation time - one of Zig's goals.
-
-So, for each file, we iterate over the top level declarations. The set of top
-level declarations are:
-
- * Function Definition
- * Global Variable Declaration
- * Container Declaration (struct or enum)
- * Error Value Declaration
- * Use Declaration
-
-Each of these can have `export` attached to them except for error value
-declarations and use declarations.
-
-When we see a top level declaration during this iteration, we determine its
-unique name identifier within the file. For example, for a function definition,
-the unique name identifier is simply its name. Using this name we add the top
-level declaration to a map.
-
-If the top level declaration is exported, we add it to a set of exported top
-level identifiers.
-
-If the top level declaration is a use declaration, we add it to a set of use
-declarations.
-
-If the top level declaration is an error value declaration, we assign it a value
-and increment the count of error values.
-
-After this preliminary iteration over the top level declarations, we iterate
-over the use declarations and resolve them. To resolve a use declaration, we
-analyze the associated expression, verify that its type is the namespace type,
-and then add all the items from the namespace into the top level declaration
-map for the current file.
-
-To analyze an expression, we recurse the abstract syntax tree of the
-expression. Whenever we must look up a symbol, if the symbol exists already,
-we can use it. Otherwise, we look it up in the top level declaration map.
-If it exists, we can use it. Otherwise, we interrupt resolving this use
-declaration to resolve the next one. If a dependency loop is detected, emit
-an error. If all use declarations are resolved yet the symbol we need still
-does not exist, emit an error.
-
-To analyze an `@import` expression, find the referenced file, parse it, and
-add it to the set of files to perform semantic analysis on.
-
-Proceed through the rest of the use declarations the same way.
-
-If we make it through the use declarations without an error, then we have a
-complete map of all globals that exist in the current file.
-
-Next we iterate over the set of exported top level declarations.
-
-If it's a function definition, add it to the set of exported function
-definitions and resolve the function prototype only. Otherwise, resolve the
-top level declaration completely. This may involve recursively resolving other
-top level declarations that expressions depend on.
-
-Finally, iterate over the set of exported function definitions and analyze the
-bodies.