...

example/src/main.nub

@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 namespace main
 
+struct Name {
+    first: cstring
+    last: cstring
+}
+
 struct Human
 {
-    name: cstring
+    name: Name
     age: i64
 }
 
@@ -11,11 +16,14 @@ export func main(args: []cstring): i64
     let x: Human
 
     x = alloc Human {
-        name = "john"
+        name = alloc Name {
+            first = "john"
+            last = "doe"
+        }
         age = 23
     }
 
-    c::puts(x.name)
+    c::puts(x.name.last)
 
     return 0
 }

src/compiler/Generation/QBE/QBEGenerator.cs

@@ -195,17 +195,43 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
         return size;
     }
 
-    private static void EmitCopyInto(NubType type, string source, string destinationPointer)
+    private static bool EmitTryMoveInto(BoundExpressionNode source, string destinationPointer)
     {
-        switch (type)
+        switch (source)
+        {
+            case BoundArrayInitializerNode arrayInitializer:
+            {
+                EmitStore(source.Type, EmitUnwrap(EmitArrayInitializer(arrayInitializer)), destinationPointer);
+                return true;
+            }
+            case BoundStructInitializerNode structInitializer:
+            {
+                EmitStructInitializer(structInitializer, destinationPointer);
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static void EmitCopyOrMoveInto(BoundExpressionNode source, string destinationPointer)
+    {
+        if (EmitTryMoveInto(source, destinationPointer))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        var value = EmitUnwrap(EmitExpression(source));
+
+        switch (source.Type)
         {
             case NubComplexType complexType:
             {
                 var size = complexType switch
                 {
-                    NubArrayType nubArrayType => EmitArraySizeInBytes(nubArrayType, source),
+                    NubArrayType nubArrayType => EmitArraySizeInBytes(nubArrayType, value),
-                    NubCStringType => EmitCStringSizeInBytes(source),
+                    NubCStringType => EmitCStringSizeInBytes(value),
-                    NubStringType => EmitStringSizeInBytes(source),
+                    NubStringType => EmitStringSizeInBytes(value),
                     NubStructType nubStructType => SizeOf(nubStructType).ToString(),
                     _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(complexType))
                 };
@@ -218,13 +244,13 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
                     {
                         var buffer = VarName();
                         _builder.AppendLine($"    {buffer} =l alloc8 {size}");
-                        EmitMemcpy(source, buffer, size);
+                        EmitMemcpy(value, buffer, size);
-                        EmitStore(type, buffer, destinationPointer);
+                        EmitStore(source.Type, buffer, destinationPointer);
                         return;
                     }
                     case NubStructType:
                     {
-                        EmitMemcpy(source, destinationPointer, size);
+                        EmitMemcpy(value, destinationPointer, size);
                         return;
                     }
                     default:
@@ -235,12 +261,12 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
             }
             case NubSimpleType simpleType:
             {
-                EmitStore(simpleType, source, destinationPointer);
+                EmitStore(simpleType, value, destinationPointer);
                 return;
             }
             default:
             {
-                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(type));
+                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(source.Type));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -570,28 +596,7 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
     {
         var destination = EmitExpression(assignment.Expression);
         Debug.Assert(destination.Kind == ValKind.Pointer);
-        
+        EmitCopyOrMoveInto(assignment.Value, destination.Name);
-        // Initializers will be created in place to prevent a
-        switch (assignment.Value)
-        {
-            case BoundArrayInitializerNode arrayInitializer:
-            {
-                var value = EmitUnwrap(EmitArrayInitializer(arrayInitializer));
-                EmitStore(assignment.Value.Type, value, destination.Name);
-                break;
-            }
-            case BoundStructInitializerNode structInitializer:
-            {
-                EmitStructInitializer(structInitializer, destination.Name);
-                break;
-            }
-            default:
-            {
-                var value = EmitUnwrap(EmitExpression(assignment.Value));
-                EmitCopyInto(assignment.Value.Type, value, destination.Name);
-                break;
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     private static void EmitBlock(BoundBlockNode block, List<Variable>? variables = null)
@@ -1017,7 +1022,7 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
             var size = SizeOf(structInitializer.StructType);
             _builder.AppendLine($"    {destination} =l alloc8 {size}");
         }
-        
+
         foreach (var field in structDefinition.Fields)
         {
             if (!structInitializer.Initializers.TryGetValue(field.Name, out var valueExpression))
@@ -1029,8 +1034,7 @@ public static class QBEGenerator
 
             var offset = VarName();
             _builder.AppendLine($"    {offset} =l add {destination}, {OffsetOf(structDefinition, field.Name)}");
-            var source = EmitUnwrap(EmitExpression(valueExpression));
+            EmitCopyOrMoveInto(valueExpression, offset);
-            EmitCopyInto(valueExpression.Type, source, offset);
         }
 
         return new Val(destination, structInitializer.StructType, ValKind.Direct);