play 2's frame keeps and a dropped file: a var() join made at once, the hint rail emptied in place, save_read gives its text back

- ludic.ui cv_join (units_pieces.ludic:93): a var() value's pieces were joined by +, a text left
  behind per piece on every memo miss; it is written at its length at once (units_join.ludic), and
  the miss is its own declared function (cs_vars_miss), bounded by the memo.
- ludic.hints hn_slots (rail.ludic:41): hints_reset made a new rail every time; the rail is
  emptied in place, made again only for another count (rail_slots.ludic).
- value_spare_put (value.ludic:138): a list's spares grow only past the most it has ever cut off;
  declared as such.
- ludic.save: save_read reads, parses and frees the file's text - the tree's strings are the
  parser's own - and says whether the text was whole (SaveRead.intact) for the words of a refusal.
  Maroon Lake's trip and home reads kept the whole file on every load and every menu card read.

Tests: ludic.save (10), ludic.hints (8); the 36 ui examples; value_list_regrow, json_saves and
alloc_fence_declared unchanged.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

packages/ludic.hints/index.ludic

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "ludic.base"
 import "defs.ludic"
 import "port.ludic"
 import "rail.ludic"
+import "rail_slots.ludic"
 import "rail_into.ludic"
 import "card.ludic"
 import "mute.ludic"

packages/ludic.hints/rail.ludic

@@ -35,12 +35,6 @@ export function hints_config(hints_st: mut HintsState, shown: int, every: float)
   hints_st.hn_every = every
   hints_st.hn_top = hn_slots(shown)
 }
-# a rail of n empty places
-function hn_slots(n: int) -> []int {
-  let out = new []int
-  for i in 0 .. n { push(out, -1) }
-  return out
-}
 
 # the next pass comes on the next tick rather than in a second
 export function hints_refresh(hints_st: mut HintsState) -> void { hints_st.hn_t = 0.0 }
@@ -96,7 +90,7 @@ export function hints_pick(hints_st: HintsState) -> int { return hints_st.hn_pic
 export function hints_hot(hints_st: HintsState, k: int) -> bool { return k == hints_st.hn_pick }
 
 export function hints_reset(hints_st: mut HintsState) -> void {
-  hints_st.hn_top = hn_slots(hints_st.hn_shown)
+  hn_empty(hints_st)
   hints_st.hn_n = 0
   hints_st.hn_t = 0.0
   hints_st.hn_pick = 0

packages/ludic.hints/rail_slots.ludic

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# rail_slots.ludic - the rail's places: made for a count, emptied in place
+# the rail emptied in place: made again only when it is to hold another count
+function hn_empty(hints_st: mut HintsState) -> void {
+  if len(hints_st.hn_top) != hints_st.hn_shown {
+    hints_st.hn_top = hn_slots(hints_st.hn_shown)
+    return
+  }
+  for i in 0 .. len(hints_st.hn_top) { hints_st.hn_top[i] = -1 }
+}
+# a rail of n empty places
+function hn_slots(n: int) -> []int {
+  let out = new []int
+  for i in 0 .. n { push(out, -1) }
+  return out
+}

packages/ludic.save/format.ludic

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export property SaveRead {
   migrated: bool = false,
   readonly: bool = false,
   from_backup: bool = false,
+  intact: bool = true,        # save_read: whether the text was whole (the words for a refusal)
   value: Val = null
 }
 

packages/ludic.save/read.ludic

@@ -13,7 +13,17 @@ export function save_parse(text: string, f: SaveFormat) -> SaveRead {
   return read_new(SAVE_OK, v)
 }
 
-export function save_read(path: string, f: SaveFormat) -> SaveRead { return save_parse(Fs.read_text(path), f) }
+# the file read and parsed, and its text given back - the tree's strings are the parser's own, and a
+# load that kept the whole file for good kept it on every load and every menu card read
+export function save_read(path: string, f: SaveFormat) -> SaveRead {
+  let text = Fs.read_text(path)
+  let r = save_parse(text, f)
+  if text != null {
+    r.intact = save_text_intact(text)
+    free(text)
+  }
+  return r
+}
 
 # The version checks, then the chain. True when the object is now in today's shape; a newer file is
 # SAVE_FUTURE and read-only, an older one than the format carries is SAVE_CORRUPT.

packages/ludic.ui/index.ludic

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import "memo_more.ludic"
 import "memo_join.ludic"
 import "eval_text.ludic"
 import "units_pieces.ludic"
+import "units_join.ludic"
 import "expr.ludic"
 import "expr_parse.ludic"
 import "expr_prim.ludic"

packages/ludic.ui/units.ludic

@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ function cs_vars_in(ui_st: mut UiState, n: UiNode, v: Val) -> Val {
     if m.tags[i] == MM_VARS and cv_same(ui_st, m.keys[i]) { return m.vals[i] }
     at = (at + 1) & (MM_CAP - 1)
   }
+  return cs_vars_miss(ui_st, m)
+}
+# a value's var()s resolved to something not seen before: built once and kept in the memo
+@alloc_ok("a memo miss: a var() value first seen, then kept, up to MM_CAP")
+function cs_vars_miss(ui_st: mut UiState, m: UiMemo) -> Val {
   let raw = cv_join(ui_st)
   let r = Value.str(tpl_words(raw))
   let j = mm_add(m, MM_VARS, raw)

packages/ludic.ui/units_join.ludic

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# units_join.ludic - a var() value's pieces joined, for a memo miss (units.ludic)
+# the pieces as one text, made at its length at once (joined by + it left a text per piece behind)
+function cv_join(ui_st: UiState) -> string {
+  var n = 0
+  for p in 0 .. len(ui_st.cv_texts) { n += len(ui_st.cv_texts[p]) }
+  var out: pointer = null
+  unsafe { out = bytes(n + 1) }
+  var at = 0
+  for p in 0 .. len(ui_st.cv_texts) {
+    let t = ui_st.cv_texts[p]
+    unsafe { for i in 0 .. len(t) { out[at + i] = t[i] } }
+    at += len(t)
+  }
+  unsafe { out[n] = 0 }
+  let s: string = out
+  return s
+}

packages/ludic.ui/units_pieces.ludic

@@ -88,8 +88,3 @@ function cv_same(ui_st: UiState, k: string) -> bool {
   }
   return at == len(k)
 }
-function cv_join(ui_st: UiState) -> string {
-  var out = ""
-  for p in 0 .. len(ui_st.cv_texts) { out = out + ui_st.cv_texts[p] }
-  return out
-}