Examples of Pepper3 code

Series: Examples, Questions

I have restarted my effort to make a new programming language that fits the way I like things. I haven't pushed any code yet, but I have made a lot of progress in my head to understand what I want.

Here are some random examples that might get across some of the ways I am thinking:

// You code using general types like "Int" but you can set what
// they really are in the code (usually at the beginning), so
// if you plan to use native ints in the production code, it's
// a good idea to use:
Int = CheckedNativeInt;
// while in dev, since it will crash at runtime if you overflow.

// Then, in production when you're sure you have no errors,
// switch to an unchecked one:
Int = NativeInt;

// But, if you prefer correctness over efficiency, you can use
// mathematical integer that never overflows:
Int = ArbitrarySizeInt;

// Variables are immutable by default, so:
Int x = 4;
x = 3;      // this is a compile error

// But this is OK
Mutable(Int) y = 6;
y = y + x;

// Notice that you can call functions that return types that you
// then use, like Mutable(Int) here.

// Generally, code can run at either compile time or run time.
// Code to do with types has to run at compile time.
// By default, other code runs at run time, but you can force
// it to run early if you want to.

// A main method looks like this - you get hold of e.g. stdout through
// a World instance - I try to avoid any global functions like print, or
// global variables like sys.stdout.

Auto main =
{:(World world)->Int
    //...
};

// (Although note that Int, String etc. actually are global variables,
// which is a bit annoying)

// I wish the main method were simpler-looking.  The only saving grace
// is that for simple examples you don't need a main method -
// Pepper3 just calculates the expression you provide in your file and
// prints it out.

// Expressions in curly brackets are lambda functions, so:

{3};

// is a function taking no arguments, returning 3, and:

{:(Int x)
    x * 2
};

// is a function that doubles a value.

Obviously, we can tie functions to names:

Auto dbl =
    {:(Int x)
        x * 2
    };

// Meaning we can call dbl like this:
dbl(4);

// Auto is a magic word to say ("use type inference"), so
// this is equivalent to the above:

fn([Int]->Int) dbl =
    {:(Int x)
        x * 2
    };

// Because {} makes an anon function, things like "for" can be
// functions instead of keywords.

for(range(3), {:(Int x)
    world.stdout.println(to(String)(x));
});

// As far as possible, Pepper3 will only contain assignment statements:
String s = "xx";

// and expressions containing function calls and operators:
dbl(3) + 6;

// This means we can make our own constructs like a different type of
// for loop, which would need a new keyword in some languages:

Auto parallel_for = import(multiprocess.parallel_for);