[fpc-devel] WebAssembly compilation problems - Wasm32 symbol xxx without index value error

[Michalis Kamburelis]

Hi,

We're experimenting with compiling Castle Game Engine using FPC
WebAssembly target.

A lot of units and classes compiled smoothly, however we hit a weird
bug(s) at compiling our (big, too big!) unit X3DNodes. We get errors
"Wasm32 symbol xxx without index value error" at the code trying to
use various property setters or methods. Examples:

x3dcamerautils.pas(344,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol
X3DFIELDS$_$TSFROTATION_$__$$_SETVALUE$TGENERICVECTOR4 without index
value error

// where TSFRotation.Value is a property with record type, with getter
and setter methods

x3dcamerautils.pas(344,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol
X3DFIELDS$_$TX3DSIMPLEMULTFIELD$3$CRCD1E2ED59_CRCAB5A7799_$__$$_GETITEMS$$TSINGLELIST
without index value error

// where TX3DSimpleMultField.GetItems is a method of a generic class)

x3dcamerautils.pas(344,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol
X3DFIELDS$_$TSFFLOAT_$__$$_SETVALUE$SINGLE without index value error
x3dcamerautils.pas(344,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol

// where TSFFloat.SetValue is a simple setter for a Single property, no generics

castlescenecore.pas(8822,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol
CASTLESHAPEINTERNALSHADOWVOLUMES$_$TSHAPESHADOWVOLUMES_$__$$_PREPARERESOURCES
without index value error

// where TShapeShadowVolumes.PrepareResources is a simple method,
without any parameters, in a simple non-generic class

Weirder, on another machine, the symbols reported contain some exe
filenames at the place of initial "$_$" (maybe independent compiler
bug at message display?):

x3dloadinternalgeo.pas(234,0) Error: Wasm32 symbol
X3DFIELDS/usr/bin/dbus-update-activation-environmentTSFFLOAT_$__$$_SETVALUE$SINGLE
without index value error

x3dloadinternalgeo.pas(234) Error: Wasm32 symbol
X3DFIELDS/home/michalis/bin/castle-engineTSFFLOAT_$__$$_SETVALUE$SINGLE
without index value error

Sometimes the errors can be workarounded by some simple actions --
like moving the property getter/setter protected->private, or avoiding
the call to that particular method. But the solutions, as well as
causes, seem ~random from our perspective. And all in all, we didn't
finish the compilation of X3DNodes unit because after each
fix/workaround/hack for a specific case, another similar error pops
up.

Grepping FPC for the asmw_e_illegal_unset_index (this is "Wasm32
symbol $1 without index value error"), the error can occur when symbol
cannot be found in the list where compiler expected it to be.

We don't have any simple bugreport about it (yet), as the error really
manifests only in a big unit, that is interconnected with a few other
big units. Isolating the testcase (and/or doing much needed refactor
of this unit :) ) will take a while.

Does anyone have a hint:

- What does this error really mean? What is internally wrong at
compilation to cause it? What could be the culprit?

- Is there some universal workaround for it (on CGE side) or fix on
the compiler side?

Even a vague hint could at least help us prepare an isolated
bugreport, because otherwise we have a rather big chunk of code to
dissect in order to provide a simple FPC testcase :)

Regards,
Michalis