mirror of
https://github.com/zekexiao/pocketlang.git
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120 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
120 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
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<p align="center" >
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<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/41085900/161365989-f3fd47bb-7ea7-4114-8e9b-2224e1193079.png" width="500" >
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</p>
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**Pocketlang** is a lightweight (~3000 semicolons) and [fast](https://github.com/ThakeeNathees/pocketlang#performance)
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object oriented, embeddable scripting language written in C. It has a ruby
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flavoured python syntax, that can be learned [within 15 minutes](https://thakeenathees.github.io/pocketlang/docs/v0.1.0/Reference/Cheat-Sheet.html).
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Including the compiler, bytecode VM and runtime, it's a standalone executable
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with zero external dependencies just as it's self descriptive name. The pocketlang
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VM can be embedded in another hosting program very easily.
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[Wren Language](https://wren.io/) and their wonderful book [Crafting Interpreters](http://www.craftinginterpreters.com/)
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were used as a reference to write this language.
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## What pocketlang looks like
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```ruby
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# Python like import statement.
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from lang import clock as now
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# A recursive fibonacci function.
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def fib(n)
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if n < 2 then return n end
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return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)
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end
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# Prints all fibonacci from 0 to 10 exclusive.
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for i in 0..10
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print("fib($i) = ${fib(i)}")
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end
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```
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## Try It Now
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You can [try pocketlang on your browser](https://thakeenathees.github.io/pocketlang/try-online.html).
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It's a [WebAssembly](https://webassembly.org/) build of the VM compiled using [emscripten](https://emscripten.org/).
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Note that in the webassembly version of the language, some features (input, file handling, relative import, etc.)
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have disabled, has limited memory allocations, and the stdout calls might be slower.
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## Documentation
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The pocketlang documentation is hosted at https://thakeenathees.github.io/pocketlang/ which
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is built from the `docs` branch generated by a little python script at `docs/generate.py`.
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Note that the documentations are WIP and might not be up to date.
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## Performance
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Pocketlang uses [NaN-Boxing](https://leonardschuetz.ch/blog/nan-boxing/) which is a memory efficient way to represent
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dynamic types and dealing with them are much faster. It supports [tail call](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_call)
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[optimization](https://wiki.c2.com/?TailCallOptimization). When a function returns a call, the callee can re-use the
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caller's stack frame, this will optimize memory from O(n) to O(1) and for [tail recursive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PX0BV9hGZY)
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it'll completely prevent stackoverflows and yet it's faster.
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All benchmarks below were executed on: Windows10 (64bit), ASUS N552VX, Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz
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with 12GB SODIMM Ram. And the language versions are: pocketlang (pre-alpha), wren v0.3.0,
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python v3.7.4, ruby v2.7.2.
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The source files used to run benchmarks can be found at `test/benchmarks/`
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directory. They were executed using a small python script in the test directory.
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## Building From Source
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It can be build from source easily without any dependencies, or additional requirements
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except for a c99 compatible compiler. It can be compiled with the following command.
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#### GCC / MinGw / Clang (alias with gcc)
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```
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gcc -o pocket cli/*.c src/*.c -Isrc/include -lm
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```
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#### MSVC
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```
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cl /Fepocket cli/*.c src/*.c /Isrc/include && rm *.obj
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```
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#### Makefile
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```
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make
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```
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To run the make file on windows with `mingw`, you require the GNU `make` tool which you can get
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from [msys2](https://www.msys2.org/) or [cygwin](https://www.cygwin.com/).
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#### Windows batch script
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```
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scripts\build.bat
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```
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You don't have to run the script from a Visual Studio .NET developer command prompt, It'll search
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for the MSVS installation path and setup the build environment.
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### For other compiler/IDE
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1. Create an empty project file / makefile.
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2. Add all C files in the src directory.
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3. Add all C files in the cli directory (**NOT** recursively).
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4. Add `src/include` to include path.
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5. Compile.
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Visual studio project files can be generated with the premake, see
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[scripts/README](https://github.com/ThakeeNathees/pocketlang/scripts/README.md)
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for more information. If you weren't able to compile it, please report
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us by [opening an issue](https://github.com/ThakeeNathees/pocketlang/issues/new).
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## References
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- Bob Nystrom.(2021) *craftinginterpreters* [online] Available at www.craftinginterpreters.com/ (Accessed January 2021)
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- Mark W. Bailey, Nathan C. Weston (June 2001) Technical report. *Performance Benefits of Tail Recursion Removal in
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Procedural Languages* [online] Available at http://cs.hamilton.edu/~mbailey/pubs/techreps/TR-2001-2.pdf
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- Roberto Ierusalimschy, Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo, Waldemar Celes *Closures in Lua* [pdf] Available at
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https://www.cs.tufts.edu/~nr/cs257/archive/roberto-ierusalimschy/closures-draft.pdf (Accessed March 2022)
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- Leonard schütz.(2020) *Dynamic Typing and NaN Boxing* [online] Available at https://leonardschuetz.ch/blog/nan-boxing/ (Accessed December 2020)
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- Bob Nystrom.(2011) *Pratt Parsers: Expression Parsing Made Easy* [online] Avaliable at
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http://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2011/03/19/pratt-parsers-expression-parsing-made-easy/ (Accessed December 2020)
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