Conlang/readme.md

Conlang: Expression-Oriented Programming Language

This project began out of a desire to merge Rust-style control flow expressions with Python's fun for-else/while-else syntax. I fully intend to devote my spare time to conlang for the forseeable future.

Immediate Goals:

• Decide on a minimal set of keywords and operators to support
• Lex an entire Rust source file (minus generics, paths, and lifetimes)
• Write expression grammar
• Write AST for expression grammar
• Write parser for AST
• Create tests for parser (and AST)
• Parse dummy.cl into a valid AST
• Pretty printer, for debugging
• Create minimal statement grammar
  • Variable definition statements
  • Function definition statements

Short Goals:

• for loops and while loops can be used on the trailing side of an assignment
• Tree-walk interpreter for prototyping and debugging
• Data structures and sum-type enums
• Expression type-checker
• Pattern destructuring, to take advantage of sum-type enums
• Three-address bytecode VM for standard library development
• Trait/Interface system

Long Goals:

• Minimize the number of kinds of statements
• Compile to LLVM IR
• Create a standard library for the language, with Rust-like abstractions.
• Port the compiler to Conlang