lyng/docs/tutorial.md
2025-05-19 12:42:46 +04:00

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# Ling tutorial
Ling is a very simple language, where we take only most important and popular features from
other scripts and languages. In particular, we adopt _principle of minimal confusion_[^1].
In other word, the code usually works as expected when you see it. So, nothing unusual.
# Expressions and blocks.
Everything is an expression in Ling. Even an empty block:
{
// empty block
}
>>> void
Block returns it last expression as "return value":
{
2 + 2
3 + 3
}
>>> 6
Same is without block:
3 + 3
>>> 6
If you don't want block to return anything, use `void`:
{
3 + 4
void
}
>>> void
Every construction is an expression that returns something (or `void`):
val limited = if( x > 100 ) 100 else x
You can use blocks in if statement, as expected:
val limited = if( x > 100 ) {
100 + x * 0.1
}
else
x
So the principles are:
- everything is an expression returning its last calculated value or `void`
- expression could be a `{ block }`
## Expression details
It is rather simple, like everywhere else:
sin(x * π/4) / 2.0
See [math](math.md) for more on it.
# Defining functions
fun check(amount) {
if( amount > 100 )
"anough"
else
"more"
}
You can use both `fn` and `fun`. Note that function declaration _is an expression returning callable_.
There are default parameters in Ling:
fn check(amount, prefix = "answer: ") {
prefix + if( amount > 100 )
"anough"
else
"more"
}
## Closures
Each __block has an isolated context that can be accessed from closures__. For example:
var counter = 1
// this is ok: coumter is incremented
def increment(amount=1) {
// use counter from a closure:
counter = counter + amount
}
val taskAlias = def someTask() {
// this obscures global outer var with a local one
var counter = 0
// ...
counter = 1
// ...
counter
}
As was told, `def` statement return callable for the function, it could be used as a parameter, or elsewhere
to call it:
// call the callable stored in the var
taskAlias()
// or directly:
someTask()
If you need to create _unnamed_ function, use alternative syntax (TBD, like { -> } ?)
# Integral data types
| type | description | literal samples |
|--------|---------------------------------|---------------------|
| Int | 64 bit signed | `1` `-22` `0x1FF` |
| Real | 64 bit double | `1.0`, `2e-11` |
| Bool | boolean | `true` `false` |
| String | unicode string, no limits | "hello" (see below) |
| Void | no value could exist, singleton | void |
| Null | missing value, singleton | null |
| Fn | callable type | |
## String details
### String operations
Concatenation is a `+`: `"hello " + name` works as expected. No confusion.
### Literals
String literal could be multiline:
"
Hello,
World!
"
>>> "Hello
World"
In that case compiler removes left margin and first/last empty lines. Note that it won't remove margin:
"Hello,
World
"
>>> "Hello,
World
"
because the first line has no margin in the literal.
# Comments
// single line comment
var result = null // here we will store the result