Use post-lowering code?

[timholy]

If ExplicitImports were to iterate over all the names in the package, and then for every item that is a method, ask for Base.uncompressed_ast, then you could tally all the GlobalRefs that appear in the lowered code. This would presumably make your scope resolution fully accurate.

JuliaInterpreter does lots of shenanigans with lowered code, including replacing all GlobalRefs with the actual object (to save the cost of scope-resolution at runtime). So its code might be a good reference if you need pointers.

[timholy]

Learning materials:

• https://juliadebug.github.io/JuliaInterpreter.jl/stable/ast/
• Track 4 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXRMwJdEjX4 (roughly 1:56:30-2:14:30)

More specific code examples:

• iterating over code and finding all GlobalRefs: https://github.com/JuliaDebug/JuliaInterpreter.jl/blob/96ed09c7127475d391b1a4f20906072f482278eb/src/optimize.jl#L88-L100
• Finding all the methods defined by a package: consider using MethodAnalysis or stealing ideas from it. Particularly close to your needs is https://github.com/timholy/MethodAnalysis.jl/blob/265d33a4a2296f3f392bba9963cd8377405afabd/src/MethodAnalysis.jl#L261-L277, where you could just store Methods rather than Modules for the output, but otherwise use the same visit logic.

[ericphanson]

Thanks Tim, this is really helpful! I will give it a try.

[ericphanson]

Is there a way to get lowered top-level code in a module? I'm having trouble finding a way to do that, which would be nice since then we might be able to drop parsing altogether. (Though already using lowered code for methods would be a win).

[timholy]

You mean stuff that runs at module-definition time but doesn't result in a method signature? Great question, and AFAIK the answer is no. For that you do have to parse 😢.

You could probably call Meta.lower on it, though, if you want to use Julia's scoping to resolve the references.