actually disallow ^^str

compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/AstChecker.kt

@@ -599,6 +599,8 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
             }
 
             if (p.type.isPointer) {
+                if(p.type.sub==BaseDataType.STR)
+                    errors.err("^^str is not a valid pointer type, use ^^ubyte?", p.position)
                 if (p.type.subType == null && p.type.subTypeFromAntlr!=null)
                     errors.err("cannot find struct type ${p.type.subTypeFromAntlr?.joinToString(".")}", p.position)
             }
@@ -613,6 +615,9 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
 
             if(r.isStructInstance)
                 err("structs can only be returned via a pointer")
+
+            if(r.isPointer && r.sub==BaseDataType.STR)
+                err("^^str is not a valid return type, use ^^ubyte?")
         }
     }
 
@@ -876,7 +881,8 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
         }
 
         // ARRAY without size specifier MUST have an iterable initializer value
-        if(decl.isArray && decl.arraysize==null) {
+        if (decl.isArray) {
+            if (decl.arraysize == null) {
                 if(decl.type== VarDeclType.MEMORY) {
                     err("memory mapped array must have a size specification")
                     return
@@ -889,6 +895,10 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
                     throw InternalCompilerException("range expressions in vardecls should have been converted into array values during constFolding  $decl")
             }
 
+            if(decl.datatype.isPointerArray && decl.datatype.sub==BaseDataType.STR)
+                err("^^str is not a valid pointer type, use ^^ubyte?")
+        }
+
         when(decl.type) {
             VarDeclType.VAR, VarDeclType.CONST -> {
                 when(decl.value) {
@@ -973,6 +983,9 @@ internal class AstChecker(private val program: Program,
             }
         }
 
+        if(decl.datatype.isPointer && decl.datatype.sub==BaseDataType.STR)
+            err("^^str is not a valid pointer type, use ^^ubyte?")
+
         if(decl.datatype.isString) {
             if(decl.value==null) {
                 // complain about uninitialized str, but only if it's a regular variable

compiler/src/prog8/compiler/astprocessing/CodeDesugarer.kt

@@ -33,15 +33,6 @@ internal class CodeDesugarer(val program: Program, private val target: ICompilat
         return listOf(IAstModification.Remove(alias, parent as IStatementContainer))
     }
 
-    override fun after(decl: VarDecl, parent: Node): Iterable<IAstModification> {
-        if(decl.datatype.isPointer && decl.datatype.sub==BaseDataType.STR) {
-            errors.info("^^str replaced by ^^ubyte", decl.position)
-            val decl2 = decl.copy(DataType.pointer(BaseDataType.UBYTE))
-            return listOf(IAstModification.ReplaceNode(decl, decl2, parent))
-        }
-        return noModifications
-    }
-
     override fun before(breakStmt: Break, parent: Node): Iterable<IAstModification> {
         fun jumpAfter(stmt: Statement): Iterable<IAstModification> {
             val label = program.makeLabel("after", breakStmt.position)
@@ -731,24 +722,6 @@ _after:
         return noModifications
     }
 
-    override fun after(subroutine: Subroutine, parent: Node): Iterable<IAstModification> {
-        subroutine.returntypes.withIndex().forEach { (idx, rt) ->
-            if(rt.isPointer && rt.sub==BaseDataType.STR) {
-                errors.info("^^str replaced by ^^ubyte in return type(s)", subroutine.position)
-                subroutine.returntypes[idx] = DataType.pointer(BaseDataType.UBYTE)
-            }
-        }
-
-        subroutine.parameters.withIndex().forEach { (idx, param) ->
-            if(param.type.isPointer && param.type.sub==BaseDataType.STR) {
-                errors.info("^^str replaced by ^^ubyte", param.position)
-                subroutine.parameters[idx] = SubroutineParameter(param.name, DataType.pointer(BaseDataType.UBYTE), param.zp, param.registerOrPair, param.position)
-            }
-        }
-
-        return noModifications
-    }
-
     override fun after(assignment: Assignment, parent: Node): Iterable<IAstModification> {
         val targetDt = assignment.target.inferType(program)
         val sourceDt = assignment.value.inferType(program)

compiler/test/TestPointers.kt

@@ -1305,7 +1305,6 @@ main {
         ^^uword[4] array5
         ^^float[4] array6
         ^^long[4] array7
-        ^^str[4] array8
 
         ok(array1)
         ok(array2)
@@ -1314,7 +1313,6 @@ main {
         ok(array5)
         ok(array6)
         ok(array7)
-        ok(array8)
     }
 
     sub ok(^^ubyte ptr) {
@@ -1495,7 +1493,6 @@ main {
         ^^uword[4] array5 = [1000, 1100, 1200, 1300]
         ^^float[4] array6 = [1000, 1100, 1200, 1300]
         ^^long[4] array7 = [1000, 1100, 1200, 1300]
-        ^^str[4] array8 = [1000, 1100, 1200, 1300]
 
         cx16.r0 = array1[2]
         cx16.r1 = array2[2]
@@ -1504,7 +1501,6 @@ main {
         cx16.r4 = array5[2]
         cx16.r5 = array6[2]
         cx16.r6 = array7[2]
-        cx16.r7 = array8[2]
     }
 }"""
 
@@ -1664,6 +1660,29 @@ main {
         compileText(VMTarget(), false, src, outputDir) shouldNotBe null
     }
 
+    test("^^str is not valid") {
+        val src="""
+main {
+    sub start() {
+        str name = "test"
+        ^^str ptr = &name
+        ^^str[4] array
+        ptr = foo(&name)
+    }
+
+    sub foo(^^str arg) -> ^^str {
+        return arg+2
+    }
+}"""
+        val errors=ErrorReporterForTests()
+        compileText(VMTarget(), false, src, outputDir, errors=errors, writeAssembly = false) shouldBe null
+        errors.errors.size shouldBe 4
+        errors.errors[0] shouldContain "^^str is not a valid pointer type"
+        errors.errors[1] shouldContain "^^str is not a valid pointer type"
+        errors.errors[2] shouldContain "^^str is not a valid pointer type"
+        errors.errors[3] shouldContain "^^str is not a valid return type"
+    }
+
     test("various miscellaneous pointer syntax tests") {
         val src="""
 main {

docs/source/todo.rst

@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 TODO
 ====
 
-disallow ^^str
-
-
 STRUCTS and TYPED POINTERS
 --------------------------
 

examples/test.p8

@@ -1,57 +1,16 @@
-%import textio
-
 main {
-    struct Node {
-        ^^Node next
-        ubyte weight
-    }
-    ^^Node nodes = 2000
-
     sub start() {
-        init()
-        cx16.r0L = nodes[2].weight
-        cx16.r1L = thing.things[2].weight
-
-        txt.print_ub(cx16.r0L)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_ub(cx16.r1L)
-        txt.nl()
-
-        cx16.r9L = 3
-        cx16.r0L = nodes[cx16.r9L].weight
-        cx16.r1L = thing.things[cx16.r9L].weight
-
-        txt.print_ub(cx16.r0L)
-        txt.spc()
-        txt.print_ub(cx16.r1L)
-        txt.nl()
+        str name = "test"
+        ^^str ptr = &name
+        ^^str[4] array
+        ptr = foo(&name)
     }
 
-    sub init() {
-        sys.memset(2000, 100, 99)
-        sys.memset(3000, 100, 99)
-
-        ; NNW NNW NNW NNW
-        @(2000+2) = 11
-        @(2000+5) = 22
-        @(2000+8) = 33
-        @(2000+11) = 44
-
-        @(3000+2) = 101
-        @(3000+5) = 102
-        @(3000+8) = 103
-        @(3000+11) = 104
+    sub foo(^^str arg) -> ^^str {
+        return arg+2
     }
 }
 
-thing {
-    struct Thing {
-        ^^Thing next
-        ubyte weight
-    }
-    ^^Thing things = 3000
-}
-
 
 ;%import floats
 ;%import textio