build: replace tests/run_*.sh with native test-runner

Author: ganehag

build.zig

@@ -43,11 +43,23 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const run_embedding = b.addSystemCommand(&.{ wasmtime_opt, "--dir", "/" });
     run_embedding.addArtifactArg(embedding_exe);
 
+    // ── Native test runner (replaces bash scripts) ────────────────────────────
+
+    const test_runner_mod = b.createModule(.{
+        .root_source_file = b.path("src/test_runner.zig"),
+        .target = b.graph.host,
+        .optimize = .Debug,
+    });
+    test_runner_mod.link_libc = true;
+    const test_runner_exe = b.addExecutable(.{ .name = "test-runner", .root_module = test_runner_mod });
+
     // ── Conformance ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-    const conformance = b.addSystemCommand(&.{ "bash", "./tests/run_conformance.sh" });
-    conformance.step.dependOn(&install_debug.step);
-    conformance.setEnvironmentVariable("WASMTIME_BIN", wasmtime_opt);
+    const run_conformance = b.addRunArtifact(test_runner_exe);
+    run_conformance.step.dependOn(&install_debug.step);
+    run_conformance.addArg("conformance");
+    run_conformance.addArg(wasmtime_opt);
+    run_conformance.addArg("build/gengo-runtime.wasm");
 
     // ── Named steps ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -69,29 +81,51 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const test_step = b.step("test", "Run runtime safety, embedding API, and conformance tests");
     test_step.dependOn(&run_vm_safety.step);
     test_step.dependOn(&run_embedding.step);
-    test_step.dependOn(&conformance.step);
+    test_step.dependOn(&run_conformance.step);
 
-    const bench = scriptStep(b, "bash", "./tests/run_bench.sh", &install_debug.step, wasmtime_opt);
+    const run_bench = b.addRunArtifact(test_runner_exe);
+    run_bench.step.dependOn(&install_debug.step);
+    run_bench.addArg("bench");
+    run_bench.addArg(wasmtime_opt);
+    run_bench.addArg("build/gengo-runtime.wasm");
     const bench_step = b.step("bench", "Run benchmark suite");
-    bench_step.dependOn(&bench.step);
+    bench_step.dependOn(&run_bench.step);
 
-    const bench_release = scriptStep(b, "bash", "./tests/run_bench.sh", &install_release.step, wasmtime_opt);
+    const run_bench_release = b.addRunArtifact(test_runner_exe);
+    run_bench_release.step.dependOn(&install_release.step);
+    run_bench_release.addArg("bench");
+    run_bench_release.addArg(wasmtime_opt);
+    run_bench_release.addArg("build/gengo-runtime.wasm");
     const bench_release_step = b.step("bench-release", "Run benchmark suite (ReleaseFast)");
-    bench_release_step.dependOn(&bench_release.step);
+    bench_release_step.dependOn(&run_bench_release.step);
 
     // bench-perf: perf-instrumented debug build; outputs PERF: lines to stderr
     const perf_opts = b.addOptions();
     perf_opts.addOption(bool, "perf", true);
     const perf_opts_mod = perf_opts.createModule();
     const gengo_perf = addWasmExe(b, "gengo-perf", "src/main.zig", wasm_target, .Debug, &preset.step, perf_opts_mod);
     const install_perf = installWasmAs(b, gengo_perf, "gengo-perf.wasm");
-    const bench_perf = scriptStep(b, "bash", "./scripts/perf/run.sh", &install_perf.step, wasmtime_opt);
+
+    const bench_perf_runner_mod = b.createModule(.{
+        .root_source_file = b.path("src/bench_perf_runner.zig"),
+        .target = b.graph.host,
+        .optimize = .Debug,
+    });
+    bench_perf_runner_mod.link_libc = true;
+    const bench_perf_runner_exe = b.addExecutable(.{ .name = "bench-perf-runner", .root_module = bench_perf_runner_mod });
+    const run_bench_perf = b.addRunArtifact(bench_perf_runner_exe);
+    run_bench_perf.step.dependOn(&install_perf.step);
+    run_bench_perf.addArg(wasmtime_opt);
     const bench_perf_step = b.step("bench-perf", "Run benchmarks with perf counters (PERF: lines on stderr)");
-    bench_perf_step.dependOn(&bench_perf.step);
+    bench_perf_step.dependOn(&run_bench_perf.step);
 
-    const parity = scriptStep(b, "bash", "./tests/run_host_parity.sh", &install_debug.step, wasmtime_opt);
+    const run_parity = b.addRunArtifact(test_runner_exe);
+    run_parity.step.dependOn(&install_debug.step);
+    run_parity.addArg("parity");
+    run_parity.addArg(wasmtime_opt);
+    run_parity.addArg("build/gengo-runtime.wasm");
     const parity_step = b.step("parity", "Run host/embedded parity tests");
-    parity_step.dependOn(&parity.step);
+    parity_step.dependOn(&run_parity.step);
 
     // ── Native CLI ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -189,15 +223,4 @@ fn installWasmAs(
     return step;
 }
 
-fn scriptStep(
-    b: *std.Build,
-    shell: []const u8,
-    script: []const u8,
-    depends_on: *std.Build.Step,
-    wasmtime: []const u8,
-) *std.Build.Step.Run {
-    const step = b.addSystemCommand(&.{ shell, script });
-    step.step.dependOn(depends_on);
-    step.setEnvironmentVariable("WASMTIME_BIN", wasmtime);
-    return step;
-}
+

docs/changelog.md

@@ -2,6 +2,23 @@
 
 This changelog tracks notable language/runtime changes by implementation date.
 
+## 2026-06-03
+
+### Build — Native Zig Test/Bench Runners
+
+Replaced all shell-script test/bench harnesses with native Zig executables built and run directly by `build.zig`:
+
+- `src/test_runner.zig` — unified runner for conformance, benchmarks, and parity tests
+- `src/bench_perf_runner.zig` — perf-counter benchmark runner
+
+Removed:
+- `tests/run_conformance.sh`
+- `tests/run_bench.sh`
+- `tests/run_host_parity.sh`
+- `scripts/perf/run.sh`
+
+No `WASMTIME_BIN` environment variable is required. The `-Dwasmtime=` build option (default `wasmtime`) is passed directly to the native runners.
+
 ## 2026-06-01
 
 ### Language — Zig-style `\\` Multiline Strings

docs/quickstart.md

@@ -49,34 +49,34 @@ wasmtime --dir . ./build/gengo-runtime.wasm -- --max-ops 100000 path/to/script.g
 `test` always resets to dev preset first.
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev test
+zig build -Dpreset=dev test
 ```
 
 ## Host/Embedded Parity
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
+zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
 ```
 
 ## Benchmarks
 
 Default:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
+zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
 ```
 
 Tiny and stress presets:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime GENGO_BENCH_INCLUDE_STRESS=1 zig build -Dpreset=stress bench
+zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
+zig build -Dpreset=stress bench
 ```
 
 With benchmark timing/throughput logs:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime GENGO_BENCH_STATS=1 zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
+GENGO_BENCH_STATS=1 zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
 ```
 
 ## Common Gotchas

docs/testing.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 Run full conformance suite:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev test
+zig build -Dpreset=dev test
 ```
 
 Notes:
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Notes:
 Run embedded vs host-backend parity checks:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
+zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
 ```
 
 Notes:
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ Notes:
 Run benchmarks:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime GENGO_BENCH_INCLUDE_STRESS=1 zig build -Dpreset=stress bench
+zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
+zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
+zig build -Dpreset=stress bench
 ```
 
-Timing and throughput mode:
+Timing and throughput mode (set via `GENGO_BENCH_STATS=1`):
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime GENGO_BENCH_STATS=1 zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
+GENGO_BENCH_STATS=1 zig build -Dpreset=dev bench
 ```
 
 Bench files:

docs/tutorial-first-script.md

@@ -80,19 +80,19 @@ Mikael M
 Run conformance:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev test
+zig build -Dpreset=dev test
 ```
 
 Run backend parity checks:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
+zig build -Dpreset=dev parity
 ```
 
 Run tiny benchmark lane:
 
 ```bash
-WASMTIME_BIN=/path/to/wasmtime zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
+zig build -Dpreset=tiny bench
 ```
 
 Notes:

examples/bench/008_runtime_call_overhead.gengo

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 std := import("std")
 
-func inc(x int) {
+func inc(x int) int {
     return x + 1
 }