Native interop

Three different ways a name becomes callable:

Kind	How it exists	Example
Intrinsic	`IntrinsicKind` + type checker + `emitIntrinsic`	`unique`, `alloc`, `len`, `print`
Prelude / stdlib Sere	Parsed from `stdlib/*.sere`, often `extern "C" "symbol"`	`io.read_line`, `gc.use`
User / native	`def` in the program, or `extern "C"` + `--link`	`examples/native_add.sere`

Intrinsics are always in scope. They are names the type checker and codegen special-case, not magic syntax. Prefer a stdlib extern "C" wrapper when the operation is just a runtime call.

Typed C functions

sere

extern "C" "sere_gc_collect"
def collect() -> void

The string is the link symbol. The def has no body. Codegen emits a direct call.

powershell

sere src\main.sere --link libs\native.lib -o bin\app.exe

Packed .slib files and folder libraries (mylib/lib.sere plus mylib/*.c or mylib/native/) compile and link their C automatically. Prefer packing the compiled .lib / .a into the .slib so consumers stay on one file. See Libraries.

Module init

Optional: define void sere_mod_init(void) in C. The runtime provides an empty default. A strong definition from --link overrides it. sere_mod_init runs from generated main before Sere globals.

Headers: include/sere/api/sere_mod.h, sere_gc.h.

Boxed native modules

The heavier API registers functions that take Sere_Object*:

static Sere_Object* add(Sere_Object* const* args, int32_t nargs) { ... }

extern "C" void sere_mod_init(void) {
  Sere_DefineFunction("add", add, 2);
}

Use this when you need a dynamic export table. For a fixed typed signature, extern "C" "symbol" is the simpler path.

Linking facts

compileInput writes a temp .ll, then invokes the pinned clang with lld (-fuse-ld=lld) and sere_rt. Extra native libs come from --link. Importing qt6 also pulls sere_qt6 when that library was built.

Users compiling Sere programs do not need scripts/env.ps1. That script is only for building the compiler itself.

On Windows the runtime also links user32, gdi32, opengl32, shell32, advapi32.

Custom GC

Implement SereGcVTable, call sere_gc_install from sere_mod_init, link with --link. Install before the program allocates. See Memory.

Diagnostics

Standard library