Pass arguments to main via runtime.process.Init, dispatched on signature

library/runtime/start.zig

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 const std = @import("std");
 const system = @import("system.zig");
+const process = @import("process.zig");
 
 /// The kernel enters at `_start` with rsp 16-aligned, pointing at the System V
 /// process-entry block it built: argc, argv pointers, NULL, envp terminator, the
@@ -20,35 +21,61 @@ pub export fn _start() callconv(.naked) noreturn {
     );
 }
 
-// The process-entry block, recorded by `rt_start` for the accessors below.
-var argument_count: usize = 0;
-var argument_vector: [*]const u64 = undefined;
-
 /// The first Zig frame, entered with `stack` pointing at the kernel-built entry
-/// block. Record argc/argv for the accessors, then hand control to the program's
-/// `main`. The heap is lazy (first alloc grows it), so there is no other runtime
-/// init to order here.
+/// block. Build the `process.Init` from it and dispatch to the program's `main`,
+/// whose signature is inspected at comptime. The heap is lazy (first alloc grows
+/// it), so there is no other runtime init to order here.
 export fn rt_start(stack: [*]const u64) callconv(.c) noreturn {
-    argument_count = stack[0];
-    argument_vector = stack + 1;
+    const init: process.Init = .{ .arguments = .{
+        .count = stack[0],
+        .vector = @ptrCast(stack + 1),
+    } };
+    system.exit(callMain(init));
+}
+
+/// Comptime-dispatch on root.main's signature, in the spirit of std's start.zig:
+/// zero parameters or one `process.Init`; returns void, noreturn, u8, !void, or !u8.
+fn callMain(init: process.Init) u8 {
     const root = @import("root"); // the user binary's root source file
-    root.main();
-    system.exit(0);
-}
+    const main_information = @typeInfo(@TypeOf(root.main)).@"fn";
 
-/// Number of process arguments (argc). At least 1: argument 0 is the path or
-/// name this binary was spawned as.
-pub fn argumentCount() usize {
-    return argument_count;
-}
+    const call_arguments = switch (main_information.params.len) {
+        0 => .{},
+        1 => arguments: {
+            const Parameter = main_information.params[0].type orelse
+                @compileError("main's parameter must be runtime.process.Init (not anytype)");
+            if (Parameter != process.Init)
+                @compileError("main's parameter must be runtime.process.Init, found " ++ @typeName(Parameter));
+            break :arguments .{init};
+        },
+        else => @compileError("main takes no parameters or a single runtime.process.Init"),
+    };
 
-/// Process argument `index` (0 = the program's own path/name), or an empty slice
-/// if out of range. The bytes live in the entry block at the top of the stack
-/// page, NUL-terminated, valid for the process's lifetime.
-pub fn argument(index: usize) []const u8 {
-    if (index >= argument_count) return "";
-    const string: [*:0]const u8 = @ptrFromInt(argument_vector[index]);
-    return std.mem.span(string);
+    const ReturnType = main_information.return_type.?;
+    switch (@typeInfo(ReturnType)) {
+        .noreturn => @call(.auto, root.main, call_arguments),
+        .void => {
+            @call(.auto, root.main, call_arguments);
+            return 0;
+        },
+        .int => {
+            if (ReturnType != u8)
+                @compileError("main's integer return type must be u8, found " ++ @typeName(ReturnType));
+            return @call(.auto, root.main, call_arguments);
+        },
+        .error_union => {
+            const payload = @call(.auto, root.main, call_arguments) catch |err| {
+                var buffer: [128]u8 = undefined;
+                const line = std.fmt.bufPrint(&buffer, "main returned error: {s}\n", .{@errorName(err)}) catch "main returned an error\n";
+                _ = system.write(line);
+                return 1; // distinct from panic's 127
+            };
+            if (@TypeOf(payload) == void) return 0;
+            if (@TypeOf(payload) == u8) return payload;
+            @compileError("main's error-union payload must be void or u8, found " ++ @typeName(@TypeOf(payload)));
+        },
+        else => @compileError("main must return void, noreturn, u8, !void, or !u8, found " ++ @typeName(ReturnType)),
+    }
 }
 
 /// No runtime to unwind into — report a panic as a nonzero exit code.