lucassouzamatos / chico.lang

:sparkles: :smiley_cat: a functional toy language

This is a toy functional language. It is only an experiment. You can't use in production yet.

Overview

Using the shell, you can do basic operations, like this:

$ chico> let a = 12
$ 12
$ chico> apply + a 1 done
$ 13

Or create and use functions:

$ chico> fun T () -> 1 done done
$ #Fun<erl_eval.45.65746770>
$ chico> apply T done
$ 1

Sections

• Getting started
• Documentation
  • Comments
  • Variable declarations
  • Applications
  • Function declarations

Getting started

First step for start is clone the project:

$ git clone https://github.com/lucassouzamatos/chico.lang.git

After this, you should compile files:

$ make

And install with:

$ make install

In the next, you can compile single files or entire folder with:

$ chico --compile <file|folder>

Documentation

Below it's possible see some examples about features enabled in the lang.

Comments

All lines with # in the start are considered a comment.

# The let specified is for a test
let T = 1

Variable declarations

The variables are declared as described in the example, and allow only integers and floats:

let A = 1
let B = 1.425

Applications

The apply term is used for call any function or operator:

let A = 12

apply + 1 A done

Function declarations

The functions not has return expression declared, then the last expression is the return from the function.

fun sum(A B) ->
  apply + A B done
done

If you wanna return a closure function, you can return an another function directly:

fun builder(Self) ->
  fun (N) ->
    match N with
      (1) -> 1 done
      (_) -> 
        let X = apply - N 1 done
        let Y = apply Self X done

        apply * N Y done
    done
  done
done

When you need export any function for uses in another codes, you can only:

# Filename: random.chico

fun test () ->
  1 done
done

export test

And import in another files, with just:

fun start () -> 
  apply random.test done
done