8 files changed, 69 insertions, 23 deletions
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/baseref.hpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/baseref.hpp
index 2f072b6..01026c8 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/baseref.hpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/baseref.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ struct baseref : public level0::baseref<ref>
 	operator std::string const &() const { return getname(self)->data; }
 	operator char const *() const { return getname(self)->data.c_str(); }
 
+	ref operator-(ref other) { return hyphenate(self.ptr(), other.ptr()); }
+
 	std::string dump(ref skipmarkertype, ref skipmarkertarget);
 };
 
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.cpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.cpp
index 5a3dfaf..51cd693 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.cpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace intellect {
 namespace level1 {
 namespace concepts {
 
+ref nothing("nothing");
 ref is("is");
 ref anonymous("anonymous");
 ref link("link");
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.hpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.hpp
index 7aa7394..3f49eca 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.hpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/concepts.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ namespace level1 {
 
 namespace concepts {
 
+extern ref nothing; // default value of a ref
 extern ref name; // used as the link to value<std::string> naming each concept
 extern ref is; // a link to define group relationships, links to the more general class
 extern ref anonymous; // a group given concepts with generated names
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.cpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.cpp
index c9cca37..0a481e9 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.cpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ value<T>* valloc(T const & val)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+concept* hyphenate(concept* a, concept* b)
+{
+	return getnamed(getname(a)->data + "-" + getname(b)->data);
+}
+
 template value<std::string>* valloc<std::string>(std::string const & val);
 template value<int>* valloc<int>(int const & val);
 
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.hpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.hpp
index 55a28f2..eab37e5 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.hpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/funcs.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ value<std::string>* getname(concept* r);
 
 bool isa(concept* member, concept* group);
 
+concept* hyphenate(concept* a, concept* b);
+
 template <typename T>
 value<T>* valloc(T const & val);
 
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.cpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.cpp
index eeb2eb0..24d59be 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.cpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.cpp
@@ -2,17 +2,14 @@
 
 #include "concepts.hpp"
 
+#include <stdexcept>
+
 using namespace intellect::level1;
 using namespace concepts;
 
 namespace intellect {
 namespace level1 {
 
-ref operator-(ref a, ref b)
-{
-	return ref(a.name() + "-" + b.name());
-}
-
 ref a(ref group)
 {
 	static unsigned long long gid = 0;
@@ -37,5 +34,46 @@ ref an(ref group, ref name)
 	return a(group, name);
 }
 
+bool isanonymous(ref topic)
+{
+	return topic.isa(concepts::anonymous);
+}
+
+ref movetoname(ref anonymous, ref name)
+{
+	if (!isanonymous(anonymous)) { throw std::invalid_argument("not anonymous"); }
+	if (isanonymous(name)) { throw std::invalid_argument("not named"); }
+	
+	// this only provides for writing to empty concepts, because merging concepts is
+	// best done with a knowledge of which links can be multiply attached, and that
+	// information is not available at this level.
+	bool nonempty = false;
+	for (auto & l : name.links()) {
+		if (l.first == concepts::name) { continue; }
+		nonempty = true;
+	}
+	if (nonempty) {
+		for (auto & link : anonymous.links()) {
+			if (link.first == concepts::is && link.second == concepts::anonymous) { continue; }
+			if (link.first == concepts::name) { continue; }
+			if (!name.linked(link.first, link.second)) {
+				throw std::logic_error(name.name() + " already defined otherwise from " + anonymous.get(concepts::is).name());
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	anonymous.unlink(concepts::is, concepts::anonymous);
+	auto nam = anonymous.get(concepts::name);
+	anonymous.unlink(concepts::name, nam);
+	if (!nonempty) {
+		for (auto & l : anonymous.links()) {
+			name.link(l.first, l.second);
+		}
+	}
+	anonymous.link(concepts::name, nam);
+	dealloc(anonymous);
+	dealloc(nam);
+	return name;
+}
+
 }
 }
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.hpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.hpp
index c34f013..240f768 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.hpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level-1/sugar.hpp
@@ -14,12 +14,8 @@ ref an(ref group);
 ref a(ref group, ref name);
 ref an(ref group, ref name);
 
-/*
-inline std::string operator+(vref<std::string> a, char const * b) { return std::string(a) + b; }
-inline std::string operator+(vref<std::string> a, std::string b) { return std::string(a) + b; }
-inline std::string operator+(char const * a, vref<std::string> b) { return a + std::string(b); }
-inline std::string operator+(std::string a, vref<std::string> b) { return a + std::string(b); }
-*/
+bool isanonymous(ref topic);
+ref movetoname(ref anonymous, ref name);
 
 namespace internal {
 	template <typename... T>
@@ -38,11 +34,12 @@ namespace internal {
 	}
 }
 
-#define decl(...) \
-	intellect::level1::ref __VA_ARGS__; \
-	intellect::level1::internal::init_ref_names(#__VA_ARGS__, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define decl(r) \
+	ref r(#r);
 
-ref operator-(ref a, ref b);
+#define decls(...) \
+	ref __VA_ARGS__; \
+	intellect::level1::internal::init_ref_names(#__VA_ARGS__, __VA_ARGS__)
 
 }
 }
diff --git a/starts/meaning-vm/level1.cpp b/starts/meaning-vm/level1.cpp
index 1002c7b..d6896b3 100644
--- a/starts/meaning-vm/level1.cpp
+++ b/starts/meaning-vm/level1.cpp
@@ -7,16 +7,16 @@ using namespace intellect::level1::concepts;
 
 int main()
 {
-	decl(make, linked, habit);
-	decl(needs, assumes, makes);
-	decl(not, topic);
-	decl(A, B, C);
-	decl(source, type, target);
+	decls(make, linked, habit);
+	decls(needs, assumes, makes);
+	decls(not, topic);
+	decls(A, B, C);
+	decls(source, type, target);
 
 	(make-linked).set(is, habit);
 	(make-linked).set(needs, []() -> ref {
-			decl(structure, function, argument, position);
-			decl(variable, A, B, C, provide);
+			decls(structure, function, argument, position);
+			decls(variable, A, B, C, provide);
 
 			ref ret = a(structure);
 			ret.link(is, function-argument);
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ int main()
 			ret.set(a(variable, C), provide);
 			return ret;
 	}());
-	a(link, A-B-C-linked).set(link-source, A);
+	movetoname(a(link), A-B-C-linked).set(link-source, A);
 	(A-B-C-linked).set(link-type, B);
 	(A-B-C-linked).set(link-target, C);
 	a(not, not-A-B-C-linked).set(topic, A-B-C-linked);