Extend number of flat parameters in async lower from 1 to 4

design/mvp/Async.md

@@ -620,58 +620,68 @@ which to use by default.
 
 ### Async Import ABI
 
-Given an imported WIT function:
+Given these imported WIT functions (using the fixed-length-list feature 🔧):
 ```wit
 world w {
-  import foo: func(s: string) -> string;
+  import foo: func(s: string) -> u32;
+  import bar: func(s: string) -> string;
+  import baz: func(t: list<u64; 5>) -> string;
+  import quux: func(t: list<u32; 17>) -> string;
 }
 ```
-the default sync import function signature is:
+the default/synchronous lowered import function signatures are:
 ```wat
 ;; sync
-(func (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (param $out i32))
+(func $foo (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (result i32))
+(func $bar (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (param $out-ptr i32))
+(func $baz (param i64 i64 i64 i64 i64) (param $out-ptr i32))
+(func $quux (param $in-ptr i32) (param $out-ptr i32))
 ```
-where `$out` must be a 4-byte-aligned pointer into linear memory into which the
-8-byte (pointer, length) of the returned string will be stored.
-
-The new async import function signature is:
+Here: `foo`, `bar` and `baz` pass their parameters as "flattened" core value
+types while `quux` passes its parameters via the `$in-ptr` linear memory
+pointer (due to the Canonical ABI limitation of 16 maximum flattened
+parameters). Similarly, `foo` returns its result as a single core value while
+`bar`, `baz` and `quux` return their results via the `$out-ptr` linear memory
+pointer (due to the current Canonical ABI limitation of 1 maximum flattened
+result).
+
+The corresponding asynchronous lowered import function signatures are:
 ```wat
 ;; async
-(func (param $in i32) (param $out i32) (result i32))
+(func $foo (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))
+(func $bar (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))
+(func $baz (param $in-ptr i32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))
+(func $quux (param $in-ptr i32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))
 ```
-where `$in` must be a 4-byte-aligned pointer into linear memory from which the
-8-byte (pointer, length) of the string argument will be loaded and `$out` works
-the same as in the synchronous case. What's different, however, is *when* `$in`
-and `$out` are read or written. In a synchronous call, they are always read or
-written before the call returns. In an asynchronous call, there is a set of
-possibilities indicated by the `(result i32)` value:
-* If the returned `i32` is `2`, then the call returned eagerly without
-  blocking and so `$in` has been read and `$out` has been written.
-* Otherwise, the high 28 bits of the `i32` are the index of a new `Subtask`
-  in the current component instance's table. The low 4 bits indicate how far
-  the callee made it before blocking:
-  * If `1`, the callee didn't even start (due to backpressure), and thus
-    neither `$in` nor `$out` have been accessed yet.
-  * If `2`, the callee started by reading `$in`, but blocked before writing
-    `$out`.
-
-The async signature `(func (param i32 i32) (result i32))` is the same for
-almost all WIT function types since the ABI stores everything in linear memory.
-However, there are three special cases:
-* If the WIT parameter list is empty, `$in` is removed.
-* If the WIT parameter list flattens to exactly 1 core value type (`i32` or
-  otherwise), `$in` uses that core value type and the argument is passed
-  by value.
-* If the WIT result is empty, `$out` is removed.
-
-For example:
+Comparing signatures, the differences are:
+* Async-lowered functions have a maximum of 4 flat parameters (not 16).
+* Async-lowered functions always return their value via linear memory pointer.
+* Async-lowered functions always have a single `i32` "status" code.
+
+Additionally, *when* the parameter and result pointers are read/written depends
+on the status code:
+* If the low 4 bits of the status are `0`, the call didn't even start and so
+  `$in-ptr` hasn't been read and `$out-ptr` hasn't been written and the high
+  28 bits are the index of a new async subtask to wait on.
+* If the low 4 bits of the status are `1`, the call started, `$in-ptr` was
+  read, but `$out-ptr` hasn't been written and the high 28 bits are the index
+  of a new async subtask to wait on.
+* If the low 4 bits of the status are `2`, the call returned and so `$in-ptr`
+  and `$out-ptr` have been read/written and the high 28 bits are `0` because
+  there is no async subtask to wait on.
+
+When a parameter/result pointer hasn't yet been read/written, the async caller
+must take care to keep the region of memory allocated to the call until
+receiving an event indicating that the async subtask has started/returned.
+
+Other example asynchronous lowered signatures:
+
 | WIT function type                         | Async ABI             |
 | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
 | `func()`                                  | `(func (result i32))` |
-| `func() -> string`                        | `(func (param $out i32) (result i32))` |
-| `func(s: string)`                         | `(func (param $in i32) (result i32))` |
-| `func(x: f32) -> f32`                     | `(func (param $in f32) (param $out i32) (result i32))` |
-| `func(x: list<list<u8>>) -> list<string>` | `(func (param $in i32) (param $out i32) (result i32))` |
+| `func() -> string`                        | `(func (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))` |
+| `func(x: f32) -> f32`                     | `(func (param $x f32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))` |
+| `func(s: string, t: string)`              | `(func (param $s-ptr i32) (param $s-len i32) (result $t-ptr i32) (param $t-len i32) (result i32))` |
 
 `future` and `stream` can appear anywhere in the parameter or result types. For example:
 ```wit
@@ -689,11 +699,11 @@ the synchronous ABI has signature:
 ```
 and the asynchronous ABI has the signature:
 ```wat
-(func (param $in i32) (param $out i32) (result i32))
+(func (param $f i32) (param $out-ptr i32) (result i32))
 ```
-where, according to the above rules, `$in` is the index of a future in the
-current component instance's table (not a pointer to one) while `$out` is a
-pointer to a linear memory location that will receive an `i32` index.
+where `$f` is the index of a future (not a pointer to one) while while
+`$out-ptr` is a pointer to a linear memory location that will receive an `i32`
+index.
 
 For the runtime semantics of this `i32` index, see `lift_stream`,
 `lift_future`, `lower_stream` and `lower_future` in the [Canonical ABI
@@ -786,7 +796,7 @@ replaced with `...` to focus on the overall flow of function calls.
   (core module $Main
     (import "libc" "mem" (memory 1))
     (import "libc" "realloc" (func (param i32 i32 i32 i32) (result i32)))
-    (import "" "fetch" (func $fetch (param i32 i32) (result i32)))
+    (import "" "fetch" (func $fetch (param i32 i32 i32) (result i32)))
     (import "" "waitable-set.new" (func $new_waitable_set (result i32)))
     (import "" "waitable-set.wait" (func $wait (param i32 i32) (result i32)))
     (import "" "waitable.join" (func $join (param i32 i32)))
@@ -800,7 +810,7 @@ replaced with `...` to focus on the overall flow of function calls.
       ...
       loop
         ...
-        call $fetch      ;; pass a pointer-to-string and pointer-to-list-of-bytes outparam
+        call $fetch      ;; pass a string pointer, string length and pointer-to-list-of-bytes outparam
         ...              ;; ... and receive the index of a new async subtask
         global.get $wsi
         call $join       ;; ... and add it to the waitable set
@@ -878,7 +888,7 @@ not externally-visible behavior.
   (core module $Main
     (import "libc" "mem" (memory 1))
     (import "libc" "realloc" (func (param i32 i32 i32 i32) (result i32)))
-    (import "" "fetch" (func $fetch (param i32 i32) (result i32)))
+    (import "" "fetch" (func $fetch (param i32 i32 i32) (result i32)))
     (import "" "waitable-set.new" (func $new_waitable_set (result i32)))
     (import "" "waitable.join" (func $join (param i32 i32)))
     (import "" "task.return" (func $task_return (param i32 i32)))
@@ -891,7 +901,7 @@ not externally-visible behavior.
       ...
       loop
         ...
-        call $fetch           ;; pass a pointer-to-string and pointer-to-list-of-bytes outparam
+        call $fetch           ;; pass a string pointer, string length and pointer-to-list-of-bytes outparam
         ...                   ;; ... and receive the index of a new async subtask
         global.get $wsi
         call $join            ;; ... and add it to the waitable set

design/mvp/CanonicalABI.md

@@ -2446,6 +2446,7 @@ stack), passing in an `i32` pointer as an parameter instead of returning an
 Given all this, the top-level definition of `flatten_functype` is:
 ```python
 MAX_FLAT_PARAMS = 16
+MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS = 4
 MAX_FLAT_RESULTS = 1
 
 def flatten_functype(opts, ft, context):
@@ -2465,12 +2466,14 @@ def flatten_functype(opts, ft, context):
   else:
     match context:
       case 'lift':
+        if len(flat_params) > MAX_FLAT_PARAMS:
+          flat_params = ['i32']
         if opts.callback:
           flat_results = ['i32']
         else:
           flat_results = []
       case 'lower':
-        if len(flat_params) > 1:
+        if len(flat_params) > MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS:
           flat_params = ['i32']
         if len(flat_results) > 0:
           flat_params += ['i32']
@@ -3124,7 +3127,7 @@ always returns control flow back to the caller without blocking:
 ```python
   def on_start():
     on_progress()
-    return lift_flat_values(cx, 1, flat_args, ft.param_types())
+    return lift_flat_values(cx, MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS, flat_args, ft.param_types())
 
   def on_resolve(results):
     on_progress()

design/mvp/canonical-abi/definitions.py

@@ -1521,6 +1521,7 @@ def lower_async_value(ReadableEndT, cx, v, t):
 ### Flattening
 
 MAX_FLAT_PARAMS = 16
+MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS = 4
 MAX_FLAT_RESULTS = 1
 
 def flatten_functype(opts, ft, context):
@@ -1540,12 +1541,14 @@ def flatten_functype(opts, ft, context):
   else:
     match context:
       case 'lift':
+        if len(flat_params) > MAX_FLAT_PARAMS:
+          flat_params = ['i32']
         if opts.callback:
           flat_results = ['i32']
         else:
           flat_results = []
       case 'lower':
-        if len(flat_params) > 1:
+        if len(flat_params) > MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS:
           flat_params = ['i32']
         if len(flat_results) > 0:
           flat_params += ['i32']
@@ -1932,7 +1935,7 @@ def on_resolve(results):
 
   def on_start():
     on_progress()
-    return lift_flat_values(cx, 1, flat_args, ft.param_types())
+    return lift_flat_values(cx, MAX_FLAT_ASYNC_PARAMS, flat_args, ft.param_types())
 
   def on_resolve(results):
     on_progress()

design/mvp/canonical-abi/run_tests.py

@@ -2231,6 +2231,44 @@ async def core_func(task, args):
 
   await canon_lift(sync_opts, inst, ft, core_func, None, lambda:[], lambda _:(), host_on_block)
 
+async def test_async_flat_params():
+  heap = Heap(1000)
+  opts = mk_opts(heap.memory, 'utf8', heap.realloc, sync = False)
+  inst = ComponentInstance()
+  caller = Task(opts, inst, FuncType([],[]), None, None, None)
+
+  ft1 = FuncType([F32Type(), F64Type(), U32Type(), S64Type()],[])
+  async def f1(task, on_start, on_resolve, on_block):
+    args = on_start()
+    assert(len(args) == 4)
+    assert(args[0] == 1.1)
+    assert(args[1] == 2.2)
+    assert(args[2] == 3)
+    assert(args[3] == 4)
+    on_resolve([])
+  [ret] = await canon_lower(opts, ft1, f1, caller, [1.1, 2.2, 3, 4])
+  assert(ret == Subtask.State.RETURNED)
+
+  ft2 = FuncType([U32Type(),U8Type(),U8Type(),U8Type()],[])
+  async def f2(task, on_start, on_resolve, on_block):
+    args = on_start()
+    assert(len(args) == 4)
+    assert(args == [1,2,3,4])
+    on_resolve([])
+  [ret] = await canon_lower(opts, ft2, f2, caller, [1,2,3,4])
+  assert(ret == Subtask.State.RETURNED)
+
+  ft3 = FuncType([U32Type(),U8Type(),U8Type(),U8Type(),U8Type()],[])
+  async def f3(task, on_start, on_resolve, on_block):
+    args = on_start()
+    assert(len(args) == 5)
+    assert(args == [1,2,3,4,5])
+    on_resolve([])
+  heap.memory[12:20] = b'\x01\x00\x00\x00\x02\x03\x04\x05'
+  [ret] = await canon_lower(opts, ft3, f3, caller, [12])
+  assert(ret == Subtask.State.RETURNED)
+
+
 async def run_async_tests():
   await test_roundtrips()
   await test_handles()
@@ -2250,6 +2288,7 @@ async def run_async_tests():
   await test_futures()
   await test_cancel_subtask()
   await test_self_empty()
+  await test_async_flat_params()
 
 asyncio.run(run_async_tests())